Study: Many smokers unaware that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Cough and phlegm often not recognised as symptoms
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Many smokers have been found to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without knowing it.
This was discovered in a recent study in Finnish Lapland, in which people who had smoked regularly for more than 20 years, and who considered themselves to be in good healt were asked to take part.
As many as nine per cent of those examined showed some signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“A significant proportion had symptoms that were milder than moderately severe. They were so accustomed to coughing and phlegm that they felt that they had no symptoms”, says Tuula Toljamo, head physician of pulmonary diseases at the Lapland Central Hospital in Rovaniemi.
Symptoms were found in half of those taking part in the study. Toljamo emphasises that smokers’ cough should not be downplayed:
“Constant coughing is not a sign of health”, she notes. The cough should be discussed with a doctor if it lasts for a long time without any other reason, or if it continues for at least three months in a year in two consecutive years.
If nothing is done about the symptoms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can develop, and might not be diagnosed before permanent changes have occurred in the lungs. By that time it is too late, as there is no treatment that will cure the disease.
Medical researchers are looking for ways of early diagnosis. It has been noticed in Finland that the lungs of people suffering from the disease, and the phlegm that they cough up, contain large amounts of a certain protein that could serve as an indicator.
An effort is underway in Finnish Lapland to prevent the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by encouraging smokers to quit. So far, 19 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women have succeeded in quitting, a success rate which is nevertheless significantly higher than average.
“The majority of attempts at quitting fail”, said Professor Robert West of University College, London at an ongoing meeting organised by the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation in Porvoo.
“Most relapse in a few days. Only one in four who quit will last a week. A year later, fewer than five per cent are tobacco-free, and some of them will also go back to smoking.” Even after ten smoke-free years, 40 per cent relapse at some point.
Toljamo wants to focus more attention on curing tobacco addiction. She says that not even all health care professionals are aware of how severe tobacco addiction can be.
West agrees: “Those who have given up drugs feel that the withdrawal symptoms of tobacco are more severe. Previous bad experiences make smokers say that they don’t want to quit. But most of them do.”
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 22.8.2008 - TODAY |
 Study: Many smokers unaware that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
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