A clinical trial that tested a simple seven-item list of predictive factors finds it is an effective screening tool for helping doctors identify patients at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a progressive lung disease where it becomes hard to breathe. The screening tool works even when patients are not experiencing symptoms.
The trial, which took place in primary care settings in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and Uruguay, is part of the Prevalence Study and Regular Practice, Diagnosis and Treatment (PUMA) study and is reported in the journal Respirology.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. As symptoms progress, patients experience wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and they cough up large amounts of mucus.
The leading cause of COPD is smoking - most people with COPD are smokers or ex-smokers. However, long-term exposure to other lung irritants - such as chemical fumes, air pollution, dust, and smoke from woodstoves or cookstoves (biomass smoke) - also raise the risk of COPD.
