A new study has found that people with obstructive lung disease (OLD) are more likely to experience cognitive impairment, particularly memory loss and in processing information, and that this has implications for the clinical management of their condition.
The research was carried out by a team from the Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO) in the Netherlands, who used the UK Biobank Resource. In total, 5,764 people with OLD and 37,275 without completed memory, pairs matching and reaction time tests; results showed that people with OLD performed significantly worse than people without the condition.
Lead author, Fiona Cleutjens from CIRO, said: “We know that OLD can often exist alongside other conditions and our new study has found evidence that OLD is linked with problems with memory and information processing. This can be very debilitating, especially for someone who is already dealing with the symptoms of OLD.”
She added: “Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals need to be aware of the possible impact of cognitive impairment in the self-management, clinical management and pulmonary rehabilitation of OLD patients.”
The new study was presented yesterday (Wedneday 11 September) at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Spain.
Ahead of its congress, the European Respiratory Society published evidence showing that lung conditions are responsible for 1 in 10 deaths across Europe, with deaths due to lung cancer and COPD predicted to rise over the coming decades. For the latest statistics and data on lung health in Europe, access the European Lung White Book.
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