The recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) revealed that COPD is the leading factor for hospitalization and emergency visits in the hospitals and it will take a long time in getting eradicated from the country.

Dr. Jean Bourbeau, Director of the Respiratory, Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit (RECRU), Montreal Chest Institute at McGill University claimed that patients suffering from COPD are at very high risk of Lung attack.

He said, "They lead to lung function decline, reduced functional capacity, reduced health-related quality of life, long-term disability and premature death".

In Canada, COPD is among the four major diseases causing death of the patients. According to the estimates, around 10% of the people above 40 years of age are prone to suffer from COPD.

Dr. Jean Bourbeau said, "COPD patients, even at the earliest stages, can suffer from exacerbations or 'lung attacks'. These attacks cannot be treated only as an acute event but the underlying COPD needs to be managed as well. This approach of care should be the same as for the patient with cardiac disease".

The major symptom of COPD is Dyspnoea, which is quite progressive in nature and greatly influences the life of the patient making him impaired even to perform small tasks like dressing and washing.

Rapid exacerbations highlights the progress of the disease thus preventing the lungs to perform its functions and in severe cases in can also cause death of the patient.