Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease On The Rise Across United States; Increasing Incidence Will Mean Greater Reliance On Home Oxygen Therapy

Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) -- a respiratory condition that obstructs airflow
to the lungs and interferes with the ability to breathe properly -- is on
the rise nationwide, and will soon become the third leading cause of U.S.
deaths. According to the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC),
cost-effective home oxygen therapy will be crucial in coming years for
helping patients maintain independence and quality of life.



Currently, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United
States, affecting more than 11 million Americans, and claiming 120,000
lives in the year 2002 alone. According to the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), COPD
mortality has continued to rise over the past 30 years, while all other
major causes of death have decreased. The NHLBI estimates on top of the 11
million people diagnosed with COPD, an additional 12 million likely have
COPD and don't even know it.




Largely attributable to the long-term health effects on aging Americans
from a bygone era of alluring cigarette marketing, COPD is estimated to
cost the U.S. healthcare system more than $800 billion over the next 20
years, according to the American Thoracic Society. Incidence of COPD,
generally characterized by chronic bronchitis and emphysema, can also be
attributed to pre-existing lung disease, exposure to air pollutants and
heredity.



"Clearly, COPD is a national health crisis that will only gain momentum
in the years to come," said Peter Kelly, Chairman of the CQRC, a coalition
of the nation's leading providers and manufacturers of home oxygen therapy
and related equipment. "It's important that healthcare providers do what we
can now to prepare for the next generation of patients."



According to the CQRC, the average COPD patient is approximately 73
years old, female, lives alone, and has physical limitations that prevent
her from driving. While there are no existing medications that have proven
beneficial in reversing the effects of COPD, home oxygen therapy -- when
properly prescribed and used -- can slow or stop lung degeneration. A
recent federal government study highlights published clinical studies
showing that long-term oxygen therapy reduces the frequency of
hospitalization and the number of hospital days. Today, approximately one
million Medicare patients depend on the Medicare oxygen benefit for their
long-term survival, and for quality of care and quality of life in the home
environment.



The CQRC maintains that home oxygen therapy is the most cost-effective
and clinically effective treatment for COPD patients, and others with
diseases of the lung. Home oxygen therapy costs the Medicare program $7.62
per day vs. as much as $4,600 per day in the hospital. In 2002, there were
673,000 hospitalizations for COPD with an average length of stay of 5.2
days.



Florida leads the nation in the number of Medicare beneficiaries who
rely on home oxygen therapy; approximately 125,000 of that state's
residents receive help for lung ailments. Texas and California also have
notable populations of home oxygen users, with 110,000 and 88,000 users
respectively.



The Council for Quality Respiratory Care is a group of the nation's
leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers, representing a
majority of the more than one million Medicare patients who depend on the
home oxygen benefit for their care in order to live in an independent
environment. CQRC members include Air Products, AirSep Corporation,
American HomePatient, Apria Healthcare, Invacare, Lincare, Pacific
Pulmonary Services, Praxair, Inc., Respironics, Inc., Rotech Healthcare
Inc. and Sunrise Medical, Inc.


Council for Quality Respiratory Care

Council for Quality Respiratory Care