Definition
The abbreviation COPD stands for “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”. Chronic means that the disease lasts for a long time. Obstructive means that COPD is accompanied by a narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which causes a large proportion of the symptoms, e.g. shortness of breath.
COPD cannot be treated in its cause, but only symptomatically. Over time, the disease gets worse and the symptoms increase. Life expectancy is limited by this chronic disease, its symptoms and complications.
Which factors positively influence life expectancy in COPD?
Smoking is a common cause of COPD. If the patient refrains from smoking after the diagnosis, the progression of the disease is slowed down and the symptoms are less severe. Life expectancy is also positively influenced by stopping smoking, and studies have shown that it prolongs life in comparison to patients who do not give up smoking.
In the later stages of COPD, breathing can gradually deteriorate, which doctors refer to as respiratory insufficiency. Continuous therapy with oxygen, which is available to the patient around the clock, has been shown to improve life expectancy. Workers in mining, industry and road traffic can be exposed to increased levels of particulate matter.
If such exposure is present in a patient with COPD, the corresponding working environment should only be visited under appropriate protective measures or not at all. Deaths in COPD are often associated with an acute infection of the bronchi and/or lungs. The one-time vaccination against pneumococcus and the annual protective vaccination against influenza (flu) help to prevent these infectious diseases and prevent a possible bad outcome.
COPD must be treated even if the symptoms are mild or absent. Regular therapy can reduce the frequency and severity of serious infections. With an adapted therapy, the survival of a patient with COPD can be prolonged. Younger patients without other serious concomitant diseases have a higher life expectancy than older patients with serious concomitant diseases, e.g. heart failure, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure.
