The neglected global epidemic of chronic obstructive lung disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major and increasing global health epidemic that has received insufficient attention from the health-care profession, governments, and the pharmaceutical industry, argues Professor Peter Barnes, one of the world's leading experts on lung disease.
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030 COPD will be the world's fourth commonest cause of death, after heart disease, stroke, and AIDS, and the increase in deaths is predicted to be greater in developing countries than in affluent countries.
The neglect of COPD by clinicians, researchers, and drug companies, says Professor Barnes in his Essay in PLoS Medicine, "is largely because COPD is viewed as self-inflicted (by smoking) and also because the underlying disease process is generally perceived to be irreversible.”
Smoking is not the only cause of COPD, he says, and yet there has been little research funding aimed at investigating other contributing factors, including genes and environmental toxins. "More research is needed into the underlying disease mechanisms, to identify the genetics of susceptibility and to identify new targets for treatment."
Attitudes towards COPD must change, says Professor Barnes. "The attitude that smoking-related lung diseases are self-induced and therefore less worthy of attention needs to be changed; this attitude does not appear to apply to the same extent to ischemic heart disease, diabetes, or obesity."
Citation: Barnes PJ (2007) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A growing but neglected global epidemic. PLoS Med 4(5): e112.
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CONTACT:
Peter Barnes
Imperial College London
National Heart and Lung Institute, Medicine
Department of Thoracic Medicine
Imperial College, Dovehouse St.
London, SW3 6LY
United Kingdom
+44 (0)207 351 8174
+44 (0)207 351 5675 (fax)
p.j.barnes@imperial.ac.uk
Childhood conditions influence adult progesterone levels
Alejandra Núñez-de la Mora and colleagues found that women of Bangladeshi origin who had spent their childhood in the UK had higher progesterone levels and matured earlier than those who had been children in Bangladesh.
Citation: Núñez-de la Mora A, Chatterton RT, Choudhury OA, Napolitano DA, Bentley GR (2007) Childhood conditions influence adult progesterone levels. PLoS Med4(5): e167.
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CONTACT:
Alejandra Núñez-de la Mora
University College London
Department of Anthropology
14 Taviton Street
London, WC1H 0BW
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7679 8633
a.nunez@ucl.ac.uk
Related PLoS Medicine Perspective:
Citation: Gluckman PD, Beedle AS (2007) Migrating ovaries: Early life infl uences on later gonadal function. PLoS Med 4(5): e190.
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CONTACT:
Peter Gluckman
University of Auckland
Liggins Institute
Auckland
New Zealand
64 9 373 7599 ext. 86634
pd.gluckman@auckland.ac.nz
Isoform-specific potentiation of stem and progenitor cell engraftment by AML1/RUNX1
The truncated "a" isoform of AML1 is shown to have the capacity to potentiate stem and progenitor cell engraftment, both of which are required for successful clinical transplantation.
Citation: Tsuzuki S, Hong D, Gupta R, Matsuo K, Seto M, et al. (2007) Isoform-specific potentiation of stem and progenitor cell engraftment by AML1/RUNX1. PLoS Med 4(5): e172.
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PRESS-ONLY PREVIEW OF THE ARTICLE: http://www.plos.org/press/plme-04-05-tsuzuki.pdf
CONTACT:
Shinobu Tsuzuki
Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute
Division of Molecular Medicine
1-1Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku
Nagoya, 464-8681
Japan
stsuzuki@aichi-cc.jp
About PLoS Medicine
PLoS Medicine is an open access, freely available international medical journal. It publishes original research that enhances our understanding of human health and disease, together with commentary and analysis of important global health issues. For more information, visit http://www.plosmedicine.org
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