The Lung Association wants to help Canadians gain control of their asthma
Toronto, Ontario – 24 January 2019 – Moving the Dial on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma, a national asthma report released today by The Lung Association, revealed almost a third (28 per cent) of Canadians living with asthma have stopped exercising, are no longer pursuing activities of interest to them, or have missed school, work or other social engagements because of their disease.
Over 3.8 million Canadians live with asthma and almost all (92 per cent) believe that their asthma is under control. Yet, the report found 36 per cent, about 1 million Canadians, experience symptoms regularly.
“Gaining a better understanding of why patients are not diagnosed sooner with asthma, giving them the tools they need to learn how to control their disease and ensuring they are treated properly will reduce the human and economic burden of asthma,” says Dr. Paul M. O’Byrne, Professor of Medicine and Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University. “Moving the Dial will give us insights into how we can address these challenges.”
More than 30 per cent of Canadians living with asthma reported forgetting to take their prescribed medication as the main reason for not managing their asthma appropriately. As well, over the past 12 months, only 29 per cent of people living with asthma have received asthma education and only 15 per cent have received an action plan from their primary care physician.
“Our Moving the Dial report shows that Canadians are struggling to manage a disease that is prevalent in our country,” says Terry Dean, President and CEO, Canadian Lung Association. “Patients need to know they don’t have to stop being active to accommodate their asthma. We have developed an asthma action plan that helps start important conversations between patients and healthcare professionals. Having an action plan in place increases the likelihood of taking medications as prescribed and improves overall management of asthma.”
Canadians can access the online action plan developed by The Lung Association to help them gain more control over their condition and talk to their doctor about their asthma health at www.lungontario.ca/disease/asthmad/management-and-support/asthma-action-plan.
About Moving the Dial on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma
The results of the report were based on 1,510 surveys completed by Canadians living with asthma between October 15, 2018 and November 2, 2018, using Leger’s online panel. The margin of error for this study was +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The report was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an awareness and education campaign focusing on Canadian patients and healthcare professionals.
To learn more about the report, visit https://lungontario.ca/research/national-studies/asthma .
About The Lung Association
The Lung Association is the leading organization in Canada working to promote lung health and prevent and manage lung disease. This is done by funding vital research and pushing for innovative ways to help people manage their health. The Lung Association’s role is to improve respiratory health and the overall quality of life through programs, education, research, training, treatment and prevention of lung disease.
To learn more about The Lung Association, visit https://www.lung.ca/.
For more information, please contact:
Monica Kocsmaros
The Lung Association - Ontario
647-293-9911
Rebecca Tsehay
Edelman
647-730-5894
