Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - UVA - 39

TRUE OR FALSE:

COPD is rare.

FALSE. COPD is far more common than a lot of people realize,
says Jamie Sullivan, vice president of
public policy and outcomes at the
COPD Foundation. COPD is the
fourth leading cause of death in the
country, according to 2016 figures
from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. About
6.4 percent of Americans say they've
been told they have COPD, and
experts note that a significant number of people who have the disease
have not been diagnosed.

TRUE OR FALSE:

Only smokers get COPD.

FALSE. About 90 percent of
people with COPD have smoked.
But environmental pollutants,
including secondhand smoke, air
pollution and chemicals, can contribute to a person's risk, and some
people inherit a genetic risk.
"Many people associate COPD
only with smoking," Sullivan says.
That stigma, she says, can affect
whether people with the disease
feel empowered versus ashamed,
how doctors talk about COPD, and
even policies and funding.

TRUE OR FALSE:

underdiagnosed and undertreated,
so it's important that they advocate
for themselves and talk to their
doctors about their risks and any
symptoms they notice.

TRUE OR FALSE:

You can't exercise
with COPD.

FALSE. Although it seems
like breathing challenges would
prevent a person from exercising,
it's important to keep moving.
Pulmonary rehabilitation programs
are designed to help people exercise safely, gain education and build
their lung function.
"I cannot emphasize this enough,"
Williams says. "If you have pulmonary
rehab in your area, have your doctor refer you. It is life-changing. It is
the single best tool that people with
COPD can have in their toolbox."

TRUE OR FALSE:

There is no cure for COPD.

TRUE. COPD has no known
cure, but treatments can help people breathe easier and improve their
quality of life. In addition to pulmonary rehab, medications or supplemental oxygen may help. And some
people are candidates for lung surgery to improve their breathing. ■

IS IT COPD
OR PH?
Pulmonary hypertension, or PH, is high
blood pressure in the lungs. Symptoms can
include shortness of breath, dizziness and
fatigue. Because these symptoms can mirror
more common and less-threatening illnesses,
patients can go years without being accurately
diagnosed or may be misdiagnosed as having other illnesses such as asthma or COPD
(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Over time, PH causes heart failure,
debilitation and death. "There is an urgent
need for medical institutions to accurately
diagnose, treat and provide support for PH
patients," says UVA Health System pulmonologist Andrew Mihalek, MD. UVA has been
designated as a Center of Comprehensive
Care by the Pulmonary Hypertension
Association (PHA).
"Our hope is that the PHA accreditation
helps us better connect with healthcare
professionals throughout our community
and ensures that more people living with PH
receive the right diagnosis early and accurately
and get the very best care available," says UVA
cardiologist Sula Mazimba, MD, MPH.
At the UVA Pulmonary Hypertension
Clinic, patients get access to cardiologists
(heart doctors) and pulmonologists (lung
doctors), who collaborate with nurse coordinators. Consultation with specialists in
rheumatology, interstitial lung disease, heart
valve disease, congenital heart disease, lung
transplantation, palliative care, genetics and
nutrition are coordinated through the clinic
to provide each patient with comprehensive
and convenient care.

Both men and women
get COPD.

TRUE. COPD was once thought
of as a man's disease. But a 2013
report from the American Lung
Association noted that women are
37 percent more likely than men to
have COPD. Women are also more
likely to die of the disease. The
report points out that women are

WEBSITE

Get Support for COPD
UVA Health System is one of few medical centers in the region to offer a
specialized clinic for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease. Learn more at uvahealth.com/copd-care.

SUMME R 2019

http://www.uvahealth.com/copd-care

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2019 - UVA

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