COPD both a burden and a loss

GlaxoSmithKlineNov 18 2010

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, revealed that they perceive their disease as both a burden they must deal with and as a loss they have experienced, according to recent in-home research conducted by GlaxoSmithKline.  Patients participating in the research characterized their sense of loss as a combination of factors including loss of energy, loss of control, loss of independence and loss of their old self.  They also suggested that COPD prevents them from living life to its fullest.  As the disease progresses, research participants report they've become increasingly limited in what they can do and more reliant on the internet as a source of important information on how to help manage their illness and as a means to interact with other people who can share in their experiences.

Patients with COPD can learn more on how to manage their disease by visiting www.COPD.com.  For the 12 million individuals diagnosed with COPD in the United States, www.COPD.com offers an easily accessible online destination to help inform them on their disease and its different stages and offers them things to consider that may help them live with COPD.  For caregivers, www.COPD.com offers information on how to care for a loved one with COPD.