The New Year is welcoming some important changes to help improve the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) around the world.
New recommendations from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) have introduced a number of major changes to the way COPD should be assessed and treated. GOLD is an independent organization that works to improve COPD prevention and treatment, and these updates represent a major revision to COPD management.
For the first time, COPD treatment will now only be guided by the everyday symptoms and flare-up (exacerbation) risk faced by people living with the condition. Lung function tests measuring how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath, such as spirometry, will still be essential to confirm a COPD diagnosis and to assess prognosis over time, but won’t guide the treatment recommendations.
What do these changes mean for people living with COPD? The new recommendations from GOLD now put patient outcomes and the impact of COPD on daily life front and center in determining treatment options.
If you or a loved one have been struggling with COPD, why not seize the New Year and book your next appointment with your doctor? Discuss how well your COPD is managed and whether it is time to reassess your symptoms and risk of having a flare-up.
If you want to know more about living with COPD or are looking for support for yourself or a loved one, join the COPD: Life is Calling community.
Carpe diem and discover why it might be time to reassess your #COPD symptoms and risk of flare-ups.
