The famous actor Zhang Shaohua died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and nearly 100 million people in my country also suffer from it.

Let’s learn about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

On March 23, 2021, the family of the famous actor Zhang Shaohua released an obituary on Weibo, saying that Zhang Shaohua died of illness at the age of 75.

Zhang Shaohua has been in the industry for nearly 60 years. She has starred in many well-received film and television works such as "The Mansion Gate", "Secret", "My Ugly Mother", and "Brave Heart", and has created countless classic roles for the audience. She won the Best Actress Award at the 11th Shanghai TV Festival "Magnolia Award" and won the Lifetime Achievement Actor Award at the 2015 National Drama Festival. The death of this veteran actor has made many people inside and outside the circle feel extremely sorry.

In the obituary, Zhang Shaohua's family said that he had suffered from "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" for 10 years, had been hospitalized for treatment many times, and had become noticeably thinner.

In fact, nearly 100 million people in my country suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Understanding COPD

COPD is a common chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by airflow limitation. This airflow limitation is not fully reversible and is progressive, further manifesting as common chronic diseases such as cor pulmonale and respiratory failure.

The occurrence of COPD is related to the abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to harmful gases or particles. As the disease recurs and worsens, lung function gradually declines, and shortness of breath may occur during daily activities or even rest.

The prevalence of COPD increases with age, and the prevalence rate in people over 60 years old is as high as 27.4%. That is to say, on average, one in every four elderly people is a COPD patient. At present, COPD is the third most common chronic disease in my country. According to the 2017 my country Disease Burden Study, COPD is among the top three causes of death in my country. In 2018, according to data from The Lancet, the number of COPD patients in my country has reached more than 99.9 million, which has caused a major disease burden on my country.

There are many factors that cause COPD, such as heredity, smoking, air pollution, long-term exposure to occupational dust and chemicals, infection, malnutrition, and airway inflammatory diseases caused by repeated inhalation of allergens. Among them, smoking is the main cause of COPD, including passive smoking and maternal smoking.

How to prevent COPD?

1. Check lung function after 40 years old

For people over 40 years old, if they smoke for a long time, feel shortness of breath after activities, or cough and produce phlegm for more than three months, they should go to the hospital in time to check their lung function to determine whether they have COPD.

2. Forced smoking cessation, including secondhand smoke

Smoking is the main cause of COPD. More than 90% of COPD patients have a history of smoking or passive smoking, and the longer they smoke and the more they smoke, the higher the incidence of COPD. Therefore, to prevent COPD, smoking cessation must be mandatory, including secondhand smoke.

3. Be careful of kitchen fumes

Kitchen fumes are also an invisible killer that causes COPD. Kitchen fumes have a great impact on human health. They can strongly irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat, causing respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis, and COPD. Therefore, it is recommended that friends who have the habit of cooking should open doors and windows as much as possible when cooking. Try to eat less stir-fried dishes, and mainly stew and steam dishes. When cooking, turn on the range hood before turning on the fire, and turn it off ten minutes after cooking. It is recommended to choose a thick-bottomed cooking pan, control the cooking oil temperature at 50% to 60% hot, and clean the range hood filter regularly.

4. Exercise properly

A study showed that the better the cardiopulmonary function in youth, the lower the risk of COPD in old age. If you want to have good cardiopulmonary function, you must do constant exercise. It is recommended to maintain 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day from a young age, and ensure a total of more than 150 minutes per week.

5. Pay attention to "cough, sputum, and wheezing"

There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of COPD, and it may just be a mild, recurrent cough and sputum. As the disease progresses, typical symptoms of COPD, such as wheezing and dyspnea, will appear. Therefore, when "coughing, sputum, and wheezing" occur, it should be taken seriously in a timely manner.

References:

1. Wang C, Xu J, Yang L, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China (the China Pulmonary Health [CPH] study): a national cross-sectional study[J]. Lancet (London, England).

2. 2019-06-25 The Lancet "The Lancet's latest paper: 2017 China's disease burden study"

3. 2020-08-24 Health Times WeChat "There are more than 100 million COPD patients in my country, but these three misunderstandings are often made in prevention and treatment!"

4. 2019-11-29 Health Times: "Beware of COPD if you have chest tightness and shortness of breath"

5. Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Medical Association Journal, Chinese Medical Association General Practice Branch, et al. Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the primary care level (2018)[J]. Chinese Journal of General Practitioners, 2018, 17(11):856-870.

6. 2016-12-06 Health Times: 90% of COPD patients are heavy smokers

7. 2018-01-12 Health Times "Kitchen fumes are harmful"

8. 2019-07-05 Health Times: "Strong body in middle age makes it less likely to get COPD in old age"