III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 322 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 14, 2011 Mr. Crapo (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating November 2011 as COPD Awareness Month.

Whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (referred to in this preamble as COPD), also known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is the third leading cause of death in the United States and is the only 1 of the top 5 causes of death with a rising prevalence and death rate; Whereas COPD is a chronic and progressive disease that affects over 24,000,000 people in the United States, ½ of whom have not been properly diagnosed; Whereas COPD claims the lives of more than 120,000 people of the United States each year, with a person dying every 4 minutes from COPD; Whereas COPD is considered to be the second leading cause of disability in the United States; Whereas in 2011 COPD cost the United States approximately $49,900,000,000 per year; Whereas the major risk factor for COPD is smoking and other risk factors include exposure to air pollution, industrial irritants, and burned biomass fuels; Whereas COPD can also result from genetic conditions, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency; Whereas many patients suffering with COPD are not diagnosed until they have reached an advanced stage of COPD; Whereas a diagnostic test for COPD, known as spirometry, is available for office use, allowing early diagnosis of COPD; Whereas the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Veterans Affairs play a critical role in advancing the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately a cure for COPD; Whereas primary care physicians are in a key position to provide optimal care to patients with COPD and need to be trained to diagnose and treat the disease; Whereas individuals with COPD who are able to receive education from allied health professionals, such as respiratory therapists, have better health outcomes; Whereas appropriately treating COPD with medication and health management can reduce hospital readmissions and costly exacerbations; and Whereas increased public awareness, screening, early detection, and treatment of COPD are crucial in the prevention or slowing the progression of lung disease and can lead to reduced costs and better quality of life: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)designates November 2011 as COPD Awareness Month; (2)encourages all people of the United States to become more informed about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (referred to in this resolution as COPD) and get screened if they are at risk; and (3)encourages further partnership between the Federal government and private entities to enhance patient education about COPD.