Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 96, Issue 12, December 2002, Pages 963-975
Respiratory Medicine

Regular Article
Assessing the burden of respiratory disease in the UK

https://doi.org/10.1053/rmed.2002.1392Get rights and content
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Abstract

This review explores the health and social burden of some of the main respiratory diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, obstructive sleep apnoea and tuberculosis) in order to increase awareness of these diseases and highlight areas where improvements in care are required. The overall impact of respiratory diseases in the U.K. in terms of prevalence, mortality, morbidity, and economic costs, with particular reference to secondary care has been considered and comparisons made with the rest of Europe where data are available. Respiratory diseases are responsible for a significant proportion of serious morbidity and premature death among the population of the U.K. and they will continue to present a growing challenge; special support is needed to tackle this burden.

Keywords

costs
morbidity
mortality
prevalence
service provision
respiratory diseases.

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f1

Correspondence should be addressed to: Prof. Fan Chung, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, U.K. Fax: +44 (0)20 7351 8126; E-mail: [email protected]