The document provides information on managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It emphasizes the importance of recognizing early symptoms such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. The guide offers practical advice, including quitting smoking, avoiding lung irritant...s, regular consultations with healthcare providers, and seeking support from friends and caregivers. It also highlights the value of preparing for medical visits, noting symptoms, understanding risk factors, and taking notes during appointments to maximize treatment effectiveness.
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The article from The Lancet Global Health discusses the "silent epidemic" of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa, emphasizing its status as an under-recognized yet significant health issue. Although COPD is the third leading cause of death globally, it remains largely overlooked i...n African countries. The article highlights studies indicating varying prevalence rates of COPD across sub-Saharan Africa, with major risk factors including tobacco smoking and biomass smoke exposure. The findings suggest that COPD in Africa often affects younger age groups (30–40 years), likely due to early exposure to biomass smoke. The author calls for better education and training for healthcare providers and urges policymakers to address COPD through improved surveillance and effective prevention and treatment strategies.
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The document "Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Handbook for Pharmacists" outlines the significant role pharmacists play in managing asthma and COPD, emphasizing patient education, disease prevention, medication management, and promoting healthy lifestyles. It highlights the importance of pharmacists ...in supporting early detection, adherence to treatment, smoking cessation, and interprofessional collaboration to enhance respiratory care and outcomes.
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The article provides a comprehensive overview of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), covering its causes, symptoms, diagnostic methods, classification of severity, treatment options, and management strategies, with a focus on risk factors, clinical features, and therapeutic approaches such... as smoking cessation, bronchodilators, rehabilitation, and potential surgical interventions.
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Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, imposing a consistent burden on health system. In recent years, prevalence of asthma symptoms became globally increased in children and adolescents, particularly in Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Host (genetics, atopy) and environmental fa...ctors (microbial exposure, exposure to passive smoking and air pollution), seemed to contribute to this trend. The increased prevalence observed in metropolitan areas with respect to rural ones and, overall, in industrialized countries, highlighted the role of air pollution in asthma inception. Asthma accounts for 1.1% of the overall global estimate of “Disability-adjusted life years” (DALYs)/100,000 for all causes. Mortality in children is low and it decreased across Europe over recent years. Children from LMICs particularly suffer a disproportionately higher burden in terms of morbidity and mortality. Global asthma-related costs are high and are usually are classified into direct, indirect and intangible costs. Direct costs account for 50–80% of the total costs. Asthma is one of the main causes of hospitalization which are particularly common in children aged < 5 years with a prevalence that has been increased during the last two decades, mostly in LMICs. Indirect costs are usually higher than in older patients, including both school and work-related losses. Intangible costs are unquantifiable, since they are related to impairment of quality of life, limitation of physical activities and study performance. The implementation of strategies aimed at early detect asthma thus providing access to the proper treatment has been shown to effectively reduce the burden of the disease.
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Background
Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and ris...k factors for asthma in adolescents in an LMIC.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey using the Global Asthma Network written and video questionnaires was conducted in adolescents aged 13 and 14 from randomly selected schools in Durban, South Africa, between May 2019 and June 2021.
Results
A total of 3957 adolescents (51.9% female) were included. The prevalence of lifetime, current and severe asthma was 24.6%, 13.7% and 9.1%, respectively. Of those with current and severe asthma symptoms; 38.9% (n=211/543) and 40.7% (n=147/361) had doctor-diagnosed asthma; of these, 72.0% (n=152/211) and 70.7% (n=104/147), respectively, reported using inhaled medication in the last 12 months. Short-acting beta agonists (80.4%) were more commonly used than inhaled corticosteroids (13.7%). Severe asthma was associated with: fee-paying school quintile (adjusted OR (CI)): 1.78 (1.27 to 2.48), overweight (1.60 (1.15 to 2.22)), exposure to traffic pollution (1.42 (1.11 to 1.82)), tobacco smoking (2.06 (1.15 to 3.68)), rhinoconjunctivitis (3.62 (2.80 to 4.67)) and eczema (2.24 (1.59 to 3.14)), all p<0.01.
Conclusion
Asthma prevalence in this population (13.7%) is higher than the global average (10.4%). Although common, severe asthma symptoms are underdiagnosed and associated with atopy, environmental and lifestyle factors. Equitable access to affordable essential controller inhaled medicines addressing the disproportionate burden of asthma is needed in this setting.
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Asbestos, the most frequent cause of occupational cancer, continues to be consumed ona massive scale, with millions of people exposed on a daily basis. This review explains why we havefailed in curtailing the silent epidemic of asbestos-related disease and why the numbers of asbestosvictims are like...ly to remain high. Emerging and developed countries have to be reminded that asbestosexposure has yet to become a problem of the past. The worldwide spread of asbestos, followed by thesurge of asbestos-related cancers, resembles the lung cancer epidemic caused by smoking andstimulated by manufacturers.
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Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of mortality and reduced life expectancy. We aim to estimate the burden of diabetes by type, year, regions, and socioeconomic status in 195 countries and territories over the past 28 years, which provide information to achieve the goal of World Health Organizatio...n Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in 2025. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Overall, the global burden of diabetes had increased significantly since 1990. Both the trend and magnitude of diabetes related diseases burden varied substantially across regions and countries. In 2017, global incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) associated with diabetes were 22.9 million, 476.0 million, 1.37 million, and 67.9 million, with a projection to 26.6 million, 570.9 million, 1.59 million, and 79.3 million in 2025, respectively. The trend of global type 2 diabetes burden was similar to that of total diabetes (including type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes), while global age-standardized rate of mortality and DALYs for type 1 diabetes declined. Globally, metabolic risks (high BMI) and behavioral factors (inappropriate diet, smoking, and low physical activity) contributed the most attributable death and DALYs of diabetes. These estimations could be useful in policy-making, priority setting, and resource allocation in diabetes prevention and treatment.
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Long-term exposure of humans to air pollution enhances the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. A novel Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) has been derived from many cohort studies, providing much-improved coverage of the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We applied the GE...MM to assess excess mortality attributable to ambient air pollution on a global scale and compare to other risk factors.
Methods and results
We used a data-informed atmospheric model to calculate worldwide exposure to PM2.5 and ozone pollution, which was combined with the GEMM to estimate disease-specific excess mortality and loss of life expectancy (LLE) in 2015. Using this model, we investigated the effects of different pollution sources, distinguishing between natural (wildfires, aeolian dust) and anthropogenic emissions, including fossil fuel use. Global excess mortality from all ambient air pollution is estimated at 8.8 (7.11–10.41) million/year, with an LLE of 2.9 (2.3–3.5) years, being a factor of two higher than earlier estimates, and exceeding that of tobacco smoking. The global mean mortality rate of about 120 per 100 000 people/year is much exceeded in East Asia (196 per 100 000/year) and Europe (133 per 100 000/year). Without fossil fuel emissions, the global mean life expectancy would increase by 1.1 (0.9–1.2) years and 1.7 (1.4–2.0) years by removing all potentially controllable anthropogenic emissions. Because aeolian dust and wildfire emission control is impracticable, significant LLE is unavoidable.
Conclusion
Ambient air pollution is one of the main global health risks, causing significant excess mortality and LLE, especially through cardiovascular diseases. It causes an LLE that rivals that of tobacco smoking. The global mean LLE from air pollution strongly exceeds that by violence (all forms together), i.e. by an order of magnitude (LLE being 2.9 and 0.3 years, respectively).
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The document provides inforation on tobacco use (health effects, quitting, benefits of quitting, e-cigarettes etc.) in a descriptive way.
Tobacco kills up to half of its users who don’t quit (1-3).
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke Around 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.In 2020,... 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco: 36.7% of men and 7.8% of women.
To address the tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Currently 182 countries are Parties to this treaty.
The WHO MPOWER measures are in line with the WHO FCTC and have been shown to save lives and reduce costs from averted healthcare expenditure.
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این مجموعه ویژه شامل مرورهای کاکرین در موضوعات زیر است: دارو، پشتیبانی رفتاری، و ترک تدریجی. مداخلاتی که عمل سیگار کشیدن را تقلید میکنند، بهویژه سیگارهای الکترون...یکی، بهعلت اینکه خطر مرتبط با استفاده از آنها در همهگیری اخیر واضح نیست؛ از این مجموعه خارج شدهاند. گروه اعتیاد به دخانیات کاکرین در حال کار هستند تا همه اطلاعات مرتبط را به منظور ارائه پشتیبانی به افرادی که در این زمان سخت در تلاش برای ترک سیگار هستند؛ بهروز نگهدارند.
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Cette collection spéciale comprend des revues Cochrane sur les sujets suivants : les médicaments, le soutien comportemental et le sevrage tabagique progressif. Les interventions qui imitent l'acte de fumer, notamment les cigarettes électroniques, ont été exclues de cette collection car les risq...ues associés à leur utilisation en relation avec la pandémie actuelle ne sont pas clairs. Le Groupe Cochrane sur le Tabagisme travaille pour rester à jour sur toutes les informations pertinentes, afin d'apporter un soutien aux personnes qui tentent d'arrêter de fumer pendant cette période difficile.
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Diese Sonderkollektion enthält Cochrane Reviews zu den folgenden Themen: Medikamente; Verhaltensunterstützung; und allmähliches Aufhören. Interventionen, die den Vorgang des Rauchens imitieren, insbesondere E-Zigaretten, wurden von dieser Sonderkollektion ausgeschlossen, da die Risiken ihrer Ver...wendung vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Pandemie unklar sind. Cochrane Tobacco Addiction arbeitet daran, zu allen relevanten Informationen auf dem aktuellen Stand zu bleiben, um Menschen, die während dieser schwierigen Zeit mit dem Rauchen aufhören wollen, Unterstützung zu bieten.
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Koleksi Istimewa ini termasuk Ulasan Cochrane mengenai topik berikut: ubat-ubatan; sokongan tingkah laku; dan berhenti secara beransur-ansur. Intervensi yang meniru tindakan merokok, terutamanya e-rokok, telah dikecualikan daripada koleksi ini kerana risiko yang berkaitan dengan penggunaannya berhub...ung dengan pandemik semasa tidak jelas. Ketergantungan Tembakau Cochrane sedang berusaha untuk terus kemaskini pada semua maklumat yang berkaitan, untuk memberikan sokongan kepada orang yang cuba berhenti merokok dalam masa yang sukar ini.
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Esta Coleção Especial inclui Revisões Cochrane sobre os seguintes tópicos: medicação; apoio comportamental; e desistência gradual. As intervenções que imitam o ato de fumar, especialmente os cigarros electrónicos, foram excluídas desta coleção uma vez que os riscos associados ao seu uso... em relação à atual pandemia não são claros. O grupo Cochrane Tobacco Addiction está trabalhando para se manter atualizado com todas as informações relevantes, para apoiar as pessoas que tentam parar de fumar durante este período difícil.
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Эта Специальная Коллекция включает Кокрейновские обзоры по следующим темам: лекарственное лечение, поведенческая поддержка и постепенный отказ от курения. Вмеша...ельства, имитирующие акт курения, в частности, электронные сигареты, были исключены из этой коллекции, поскольку риски, связанные с их использованием в связи с текущей пандемией, не ясны. Кокрейновская группа по табачной зависимости работает над тем, чтобы вся соответствующая информация была актуальна (обновлена), чтобы обеспечить поддержку людям, пытающимся бросить курить в это трудное время.
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