The Burden of COPD

• COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and results in an economic and social burden that is both substantial and increasing¹
• In the United States the estimated direct costs of COPD are $29.5 billion, and the indirect costs $20.4 billion¹
• The prevalence and burden of COPD are projected to increase in the coming decades due to continued exposure to COPD risk factors and the changing age structure of the world’s population¹

Assessing COPD—it's more than FEV₁

• Revised GOLD guidelines state FEV₁ alone is not an adequate marker of disease impact¹
• GOLD now recommends assessing level of symptoms and future risk of exacerbations¹

Assess symptoms using validated questionnaires

• Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaire, which measures disability due to breathlessness¹
• COPD Assessment Test (CAT),* which measures the impact of COPD on a patient's daily life and well-being¹

Assess exacerbation risk using both methods

• Exacerbation history¹
  <1 (low risk) vs >2 (high risk) per year
• Airflow limitation¹

• Choose highest risk assessment if they don’t agree¹

FEV₁ = forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

GOLD = Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

Exacerbation = an acute event characterized by a worsening of respiratory symptoms that is beyond normal day-to-day variations and leads to a change in medication.

*CAT is the intellectual property of GlaxoSmithKline.

Gold Guidelines — Beyond FEV₁

Spirometry, symptoms, and exacerbation risk provide a more complete assessment

• Together they provide a better picture of disease status¹
• COPD patients will fall in 1 of 4 groups based on a combined assessment¹

When assessing risk, choose the highest risk according to GOLD classification or exacerbation history.

COPD patients in groups B, C, and D may benefit from a long-acting bronchodilator¹

“Bronchodilator medications…are central to the symptomatic management of COPD.”²

*CAT is the intellectual property of GlaxoSmithKline.