Lung disease must become provincial priority: former health minister
21.11.2008 19:48
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
It's a cold windy morning for a flag raising at Saint John City Hall to mark World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day. It's tough for most people to stand outside — even tougher for Roger Stoddard who is living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious respiratory problem. That makes every breath a struggle. "Going from once being an athlete here in Saint John to having people offer to open doors for you has been a humbling and often humiliating experience," Stoddard said. The fact that hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been diagnosed with COPD was observed on Wednesday at gatherings across Canada, such as the one Stoddard attended in Saint John. However, the percentage of people suffering with the respiratory disease may be even more critical in New Brunswick. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. It's especially problematic in New Brunswick where new data suggests more than 17,000 people 35 and older and possibly as many as 25,500 people in the province are now afflicted with COPD, according to the Canadian Lung Association. According to the lung association's statistics, four per cent of the province are plagued by COPD. In fact, more people in New Brunswick by percentage are hospitalized from it than anywhere else in the country, according to Statistics Canada. Dennis Furlong, a former provincial health minister and chairman of the New Brunswick Lung Association, said in a statement that it is time to make this disease a provincial priority. "The number of COPD patients in New Brunswick is disturbing," Furlong said in a statement on Wednesday. "Recent studies have estimated that more than 50 per cent of patients remain undiagnosed in the community. One of the big reasons being that nearly 70 per cent of Canadians remain unaware of what COPD is." Keith Wilson, a Saint John physician, said the problem could be even bigger than it seems. "A lot of people who die of lung cancer already have COPD so I think there's actually a higher rate than we're actually estimating," Wilson said. Chronic smoking is the most common cause of COPD. A big problem in New Brunswick considering residents smoke more cigarettes a day than any other province as a percentage of population. Still, others like Stoddard have never smoked and end up with COPD through no fault of their own. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksVIDEO: CBC's Chris Corday reports on the impact of COPD in New BrunswickIN DEPTH: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease External LinksThe Lung Association(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window) Health HeadlinesForward-facing strollers slow babies' development: study Children pushed in forward-facing baby carriages are less likely to talk, laugh and interact, suggests a British study published Friday. Counsellors look at different ways to reach out to reluctant teensAs counsellors are noticing a reluctance on their young patients' part to get involved in traditional forms of therapy, they're wondering how they can help use technology to reach out.Liberal proposal covers costs of sick Nova Scotians in another provinceA Nova Scotia man is urging the government to support a Liberal health bill and save his wife's life.Downtown Eastside pharmacy closing indefinitely amid kickback allegationsA Downtown Eastside pharmacy had its licence and its pharmacy manager's licences suspended, and was ordered to close indefinitely Thursday afternoon after it was found to violate "medicine management" issues.Fast-food ad ban could cut child obesity: U.S. studyBanning fast-food advertising on television in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 per cent, researchers said. Health FeaturesCAMPUS CRACKDOWNDrunken studentsA problem that is well past the tippling pointYOUR STORYMedical ConditionsSportsDeadly concussions  FOOD SAFETYJuice boxes Reports of leaks prompt CFIA investigationFOODNutritionThe skinny on sugars and sweetenersWEEKLY CHECKUPBody checkingIs there a good time to introduce it to kids' hockey?People who read this also read …
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