World COPD Day 2023

World COPD day takes place on Wednesday 15th November 2023. 

This annual event run by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) continues to increase awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) across the world and share knowledge, to allow for a greater understanding of the condition among the general public. 

The Air Liquide Ireland Team have already been involved in supporting the O2 & Cie project demonstrating that together we can help keep active, raise awareness and support oxygen patients to live out their ambitions.

We will also be raising awareness among our own internal warehouse teams, launching our new Adult Oxygen Booklet by the end of the month and running an internal charity drive with all proceeds in aid of COPD Support Ireland.

Air Liquide Healthcare are also sponsoring and supporting COPD Support Ireland in their drive to raise a greater awareness of the impact of living with COPD, and the benefits of staying active.

This year the theme of World COPD day is very poignant “Breathing is for life – Act earlier” emphasising the importance of keeping our lungs healthy, understanding and acting on early symptoms of COPD. Early detection is key. It is estimated that up to 500,000 people in Ireland have COPD with only approximately half of these formally diagnosed at this time. Ireland is known to have one of the highest hospitalisation rates for COPD (Hayes and Moloney, 2023). 

Keeping active is so important for all of us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When living with a lung condition like COPD, exercise can improve breathing and tolerance, reduce symptoms such as shortness of breath and help improve energy levels. For persons living with COPD it is important to discuss your options and suitability for a monitored exercise programme with your physician. Exercise programmes will include a plan which will be adapted to the individual's situation, ability and needs.

With this in mind and realising the benefit of exercise in COPD, Air Liquide and the Irish team participated in the prestigious 100 klms last phase of the COPD Tour in Switzerland organised by O2&Cie and which took place on 20th Sept in Switzerland. The tour supported the 24/7 oxygen requirements of Philippe Poncet, a COPD patient. He was accompanied by some local Irish talent such as our own Rory O’Connor and Jimmy Cooney and prestigious cyclists such as previous Irish Tour de France Champion in 1987, Stephen Roche and the eminent Professor Sean Gaine, Mater Hospital Dublin.

The tour demonstrates our commitment to promoting oxygen safely to help achieve milestones and how a diagnosis and treatment does not have to stop a person in their life ambitions and dreams.  What better way to demonstrate this than supporting the 02&Cie association COPD Tour, funded by Philippe Poncet, a COPD patient on 24/7 oxygen therapy. The 02&Cie association organises extraordinary sporting events for persons needing respiratory assistance. 

Philippe Poncet was part of the peloton for the full race, using oxygen therapy throughout. 

He was accompanied by an amazing team who helped ensure he could complete his challenge.

During the tour:

The team: Left to right: Jimmy Cooney, Prof. Sean Gaine, Dr. Annkathrin Zur Heiden, Mr. Stephen Roche, Jonas Aerts, Rory Connor, Hai Chau Cournède, Eric Echabe, Mr. Philippe Poncet, Dr. Christian Seznec, Dr. Marlène Petit. Before: M. Claudio Chiappucci.

This achievement is inspirational for other patients and families living with COPD.

Philippe Poncet message to other COPD patients: 

“I would like to tell them so many things … But if there is only one message to remember is that COPD must no longer be perceived as an end-of-life. In fact, it is a new life to be redefined. It is first and foremost a life project. This is the main message.”

“COPD is a heterogeneous lung condition characterised by respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea, cough, sputum production) due to abnormalities of the airways (bronchitis, bronchiolitis) and alveoli (emphysema) that cause persistent and often progressive airflow obstruction.” (GOLD, 2023)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable, treatable disease that is characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms of breathlessness and wheeze, and airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible. The natural timeline of the disease features symptomatic exacerbations and progressive decline in lung function with resultant significant impact on quality of life.

In its advanced stages, COPD could lead to chronic respiratory failure requiring additional oxygen supply.

Reference: 

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of COPD: 2023 Report. Available at: https://goldcopd.org/2023-gold-report-2/. Accessed February 2023

HSE National Clinical Programme for COPD. About COPD. Available at: www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/copd/about/. Accessed February 2023

Hayes and Moloney,2023. The Top 5 Respiratory Conditions placing the biggest burden on Irish Health Hospital Professional News Ireland, November 6, 2023 https://hospitalprofessionalnews.ie/2023/02/10/the-top-5-respiratory-co…

Spruit MA, Burtin C, De Boever P, Langer D, Vogiatzis I, Wouters EF, Franssen FM. COPD and exercise: does it make a difference? Breathe (Sheff). 2016 Jun;12(2):e38-49. doi: 10.1183/20734735.003916. PMID: 27408645; PMCID: PMC4933612.

Shin KC. Physical activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: clinical impact and risk factors. Korean J Intern Med. 2018 Jan;33(1):75-77. doi: 10.3904/kjim.2017.387. Epub 2017 Dec 28. PMID: 29334725; PMCID: PMC5768551.