COPD, Disability, and Mortality Published by Dove Medical Press
(PRWEB) January 17, 2014 -- International Journal of COPD has published the original research “The association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, disability, engagement in social activities, and mortality among US adults aged 70 years or older, 1994–2006”.
In this study of older adults aged 70 years or older who continued to live in their homes, over 44% of those with COPD had a least one limitation in activities such as walking, bathing or showering, getting in or out of beds and chairs, or other common activities of daily living compared to 28% of those with no COPD. Almost 60% of these older adults with COPD had at least one limitation in instrumental activities such as doing heavy housework, shopping, getting to outside places, preparing meals, or other common instrumental activities compared to 40% of older adults with no COPD.
Persons with COPD were also less likely to get together with friends or neighbors, go out to eat, go to a place of worship, or go to group events than those without COPD. The excess deaths over the next 10 years for persons with COPD could be partially explained by these limitations. These findings suggest opportunities to improve physical functioning and social engagement among persons with COPD because physical activity interventions can reduce the functional decline among older adults while reducing isolation can improve psychological states and influence healthy behaviors among older adults.
As Dr Russell, Editor-in-Chief, explains “This article provides national level data associating COPD with early mortality and disability. It connects age, gender and race as predictors of death and disability and also disability with mortality.
This is currently a hot topic and one that will run. This may well be cited a lot!”
International Journal of COPD is an international, peer-reviewed journal of therapeutics and pharmacology focusing on concise rapid reporting of clinical studies and reviews in COPD. Special focus will be given to the pathophysiological processes underlying the disease, intervention programs, patient focused education, and self management protocols.
This journal is directed at specialists and healthcare professionals.
Dove Medical Press Ltd is a privately held company specializing in the publication of Open Access peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of science, technology and especially medicine.
Albert Chan, Dove Medical Press, http://www.dovepress.com, +64-9-443 3060 Ext: 202, [email protected]
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