Who Needs Home Oxygen Therapy?
Home Oxygen Therapy
VitalAire Home Oxygen Therapy delivers supplemental oxygen to reduce shortness of breath, improve the quality and length of life and allow patients to become more active and confident.
Home Oxygen Therapy is primarily used to treat a common lung condition called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which causes the body to become short of oxygen. Oxygen therapy can also be used for other indications such as treatment of Heart Failure and other cardio-respiratory conditions.
How common is COPD?
COPD is very common
Two recent international epidemiological studies found that COPD is twice as prevalent as previously believed with a full 10% of the population now known to be suffering from it. It is also known that up to 50% of people who have the condition remain undiagnosed1,2.
References
1. Buist, A Sonia, et al. (2007) International variation in the prevalence of COPD (The BOLD Study): a population-based prevalence study. The Lancet 370; 741-750.
2. Lacasse Y, Brooks D, Goldstein RS (1998) Trends in the epidemiology of COPD in Canada, 1980-1995. Paper presented at ALA/ATS conference.