COPD-ALERT

This is a support and advocacy group for people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as for caregivers, medical professionals, and others who care. COPD is the fourth major cause of death and the second major cause of disability in the United States. Globally, there are as many deaths from COPD as from AIDS. And yet COPD is largely unrecognized in this country and the funding for COPD research is scandalously low. With 125,000 deaths per year (one death every four minutes!) the allocated research funds are at the $63 million level. Compare it with AIDS (16,000 deaths per year) - $2.8 billion; breast cancer (41,000 deaths per year) - $699 million; Parkinson's (14,000 deaths per year) - $222 million. COPD is a progressive and debilitating disease for which there is no cure and there are a few medicines available. Furthermore, there are legislative and regulatory acts, which impose more burden on COPD patients and their families): restrictions on supplementary oxygen use (36-month cap on reimbursements; transfer of equipment ownership to patients; competitive bidding) and nebulized medications.