Multicenter, Prospective, Observational, Non Interventional Clinical Trial to Assess the Asthma and COPD Treatment by Inhalation Devices

ASTHMA:

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many different types of cells, and various cellular components. The chronic inflammation causes an increase of the over-responsiveness of the airways, which leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning hours. These episodes, usually associated with widespread but variable block the airway, which is usually reversible either spontaneously or by treatment.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, posing significant social burden in both children and adults. It is estimated that about 300 million people currently suffer from asthma. The incidence of asthma is universal regardless of the level of development of the country. There is evidence that over the last 20 years the prevalence has increased significantly, specially in pediatric populations.

COPD:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. It is the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality in the United States after heart disease, strokes and acute respiratory infections, while on an annual basis, the disease robs the lives of more than 3,000,000 people around us worldwide. The most worrying is that the impact has been steadily rising, and this dramatic increase in the frequency shows that by 2020 the disease will be the third leading cause of death. In Greece, 8.4% of the population suffers from COPD.

Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. However, not all smokers develop the clinical picture of COPD, suggesting that additional factors are involved in manifestation. Further investigation of risk factors for COPD, methods of reducing exposure to these agents and the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis remain a major area of research to develop effective treatments that will reduce or prevent the development the disease.