Two Thirds of Family Doctors Believe COPD will be the Leading Cause of Death in 2020

San Diego, California (ots/PRNewswire) -

- For Accredited International Healthcare Journalists Only

- Management of Exacerbations `Crucial' to Reduce COPD Mortality

Survey results from the `Time to Live' report, presented today at
the American Thoracic Society International Congress, show over two
thirds of primary care physicians (66%) fear COPD will be the leading
cause of death in 2020 despite almost all (98%) believing that there
are effective treatments available for this condition[1].

COPD is a major cause of death worldwide, and, according to the
World Health Organisation (WHO), is currently the fourth most common
cause of death after cancer, ischemic heart disease and
cerebrovascular disease[2]. Of these diseases, only COPD shows
increasing rates of mortality - the WHO estimate COPD will become the
third most common cause of death by 2020. However, today's results
suggest the WHO may have underestimated the extent to which COPD
prevalence will increase, according to European physicians at the
front line of COPD management.

The survey elements of the `Time to Live' report, comprising
structured telephone interviews of primary care physicians in five
European countries (Germany, France, UK, Italy and Spain), shows 73%
consider reduced hospitalisations are crucial for the well being of
COPD patients - a statistic reinforced by previous studies showing
between 22% - 43% of COPD patients hospitalised due to an
exacerbation will die within one year [3,4,5,6.]

Around 90% of the general practitioners questioned believe
prevention of exacerbations should be a prominent consideration in
choosing a patient's COPD therapy, with a similar number believing
reduced exacerbations are essential to improve patients'
health-related quality of life - ultimately in reducing the risk of
COPD prevalence rates exceeding WHO predictions over the next 14
years.

68% believe that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) should be
considered at an early stage in therapy. Half of those questioned
suggest patients be prescribed either an ICS or a combination therapy
such as ICS and long-acting beta 2 agonist (LABA) to minimise the
likelihood and impact of exacerbations.

"These results provide further evidence of the crucial impact of
preventing and managing COPD exacerbations and the subsequent impact
this has on patients' health-related quality of life," explained
`Time to Live' author Dr John Haughney, a General Practitioner in
Scotland and Chairman of the UK General Practice Airways Group. "The
survey also highlights the need for effective treatments such as ICS
/ LABA combinations, which have been proven to reduce patient
exacerbations, important factors in reducing the risk of
hospitalisations and subsequent mortality associated with COPD", he
continued.

The Time to Live survey was supported by an unrestricted
educational grant from AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca are the manufacturers
of Symbicort(R), a combination of the inhaled corticosteroid
budesonide and rapid- and long-acting beta-agonist formoterol, which
is indicated for the treatment of COPD and asthma

References:

1) Primary Care Physicians' Perception and Practice in
Management of COPD Patients (results from the Time to Live report),
scheduled for presentation at ATS, May 21, 2006

2) http://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/en/

3) Eriksen N, et al. Ugeskr Laeger 2003;165:3499-3502

4) Groenewegen KH, et al. Chest 2003;124:459-467

5) Almagro P, et al. Chest 2002;121:1441-1448

6) Connors AF, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1996;154:959-967

ots Originaltext: AstraZeneca
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For further information about the `Time to Live' report, or to
request an
interview with a member of the `Time to Live' study team, please do
not
hesitate to contact: Anette Orheim, AstraZeneca Office:
+46-46-33-80-87, Mobile: +46-709-13-19-52 Or Jim Baxter, Cohn & Wolfe
Office: +44-207-331-5371, Mobile: +44-790-060-5652