[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          H. CON. RES. 197: COPD AWARENESS MONTH--OCTOBER 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 25, 2001

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, today along with my distinguished colleague 
from Georgia, I rise to introduce a resolution that would designate 
this October as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease awareness month. 
This resolution will address the unmet need of raising the level of 
national awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD--a 
debilitating disease that affects an estimated 32 million Americans, is 
currently the nation's fourth leading cause of death, but yet little is 
known about it. In 1998 COPD was responsible for approximately 107,000 
deaths and 668,362 hospitalizations. Furthermore, its devastating 
effects drain the U.S. economy of an estimated $30.4 billion each year.
  COPD is an umbrella term used to describe the airflow obstruction 
associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema--
which affects three million Americans causes irreversible lung damage 
by weakening and breaking the air sacs within the lungs. An additional 
nine million Americans suffer from chronic bronchitis, an inflammatory 
disease that begins in the smaller airways of the lung and gradually 
advances to the larger airways. Both conditions decrease the lungs' 
ability to take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Long-term 
smoking--the most common cause of COPD--is responsible for 80-90 
percent of all cases, while other risk factors include heredity, 
second-hand smoke, air pollution, and a history of frequent childhood 
respiratory infections. Common symptoms of COPD include shortness of 
breath, chronic coughing, chest tightness, and increased effort to 
breathe.
  Mr. Speaker, I have focused on respiratory health care issues for 
many years, and I receive numerous letters from my constituents back in 
Florida, who live with progressive chronic respiratory illnesses, 
asking me to raise their voices on Capitol Hill. COPD is devastating 
and is not receiving the appropriate amount of attention. In 1999, COPD 
was the fourth leading cause of death in Florida, and the most current 
estimates from the National Health Lung and Blood Institute show COPD 
incident rates to be on the rise--in fact, while incident rates of all 
other leading causes of death in America are decreasing, COPD is 
increasing. By 2020, the Center for Disease Control believes COPD will 
be the third leading cause of death in the United States.
  Unfortunately, there is no cure for this progressive and irreversible 
disease. But, if patients receive early diagnosis, there are treatment 
plans available to provide symptom relief and slow the progression of 
COPD. 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, and an equal 
number suffer from the disease but have yet to be diagnosed.
  It is likely that we all know somebody with COPD--whether we live 
with it personally, or have a family member, friend or staff member 
with COPD. Designating the month of October as COPD awareness month is 
an opportunity for us all to familiarize ourselves with COPD so that we 
can attempt to alleviate the suffering and hopefully reduce the death 
rate associated with COPD. Please support this much-needed resolution.

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