what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

TORONTO -- Patients with COPD - a lung disease usually caused by smoking - can't be cured, but a study released Friday suggests that drug therapy may reduce the loss of lung function.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, has been diagnosed in an estimated 1.5 million Canadians, and another 1.6 million may have COPD but haven't yet been diagnosed, according to the Lung Association...

The original article can be found at: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080815/lungs_copd_080815/20080815?hub=Health&s_name=

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

The prevalence of COPD was exaggerated (and thus bordered on disease mongering) through the suggestion that more than half of all COPD cases are undiagnosed. Statements like these are misleading for readers and have the potential to instill fear in them. Even though these COPD treatments have been in practice for some time, it would have been useful to include information on the cost and availability of the three treatment regimes (salmeterol, beta-agonists and a combination of these products) - particularly for readers with little medical background or pharmaceutical knowledge.

Despite some troubling aspects, the report did include some important information for the readers. The inclusion of risk factors and treatment options as well as the inclusion of appropriate/relevant evidence were noted as positive aspects of the report. In addition, the author should be commended for successfully including adequate detail on information sources and potential conflicts of interest (something that is often left out of health-related media stories).

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