Joint statement for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Middle East–North Africa region, 2017

Abstract

Bassam H Mahboub,1,2 Mayank Gian Vats,2 Ashraf Al Zaabi,3 Mohammed Nizam Iqbal,2 Tarek Safwat,4 Fatma Al-Hurish,5 Marc Miravitlles,6 Dave Singh,7 Khaled Asad,8 Salah Zeineldine,9,10 Mohamed S Al Hajjaj11College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 2Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 4Chest Department, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt; 5Department of Pulmonology and Allergy, Al-Sabah Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 6Department of Pneumology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; 7Centre for Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, University of Manchester, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK; 8Pulmonary and Critical Care, Istishari Hospital, Amman, Jordan; 9Faculty of Medicine, 10Hariri School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon Abstract: Smoking and subsequent development of COPD is an ever-increasing epidemic in Arabian Gulf and Middle East countries, with no signs of decline. The important fact to be highlighted is that this COPD epidemic of increasing incidence and prevalence is mostly unrecognized by patients, due to the common attribution of symptoms to “smoker’s cough”, and the underdiagnosis and undertreatment by physicians because the common signs and symptoms masquerade as asthma. Consequently, there are long-term adverse effects of missing the diagnosis. The purpose of this review article is to focus upon the status of COPD in Arabian Gulf and Middle East countries, stressing the increasing burden of smoking and COPD, to emphasize the specific factors leading to rise in prevalence of COPD, to bring to light the underdiagnosis and undermanagement of COPD, and to treat COPD in conformity with standard guidelines with local and regional modifications. This review ends with suggestions and recommendations to the health department to formulate policies and to generate awareness among the general public about the side effects of smoking and consequences of COPD. Keywords: COPD, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Middle East, prevalence of smoking, water pipe, shisha, medwakh, bakhour

Keywords

• Chronic Obstructive pulmonary disease
• Spirometry
• Gulf Cooperative Council Countries
• Middle East and North Africa