08 Oct “Take the Active Option”
By Janos Porszasz, MD, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine at UCLA
Technical Director, Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center
Division of Respiratory & Critical Care Physiology & Medicine
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Lung Foundation (ELF) launched their “Healthy Lungs for Life” initiative at the ERS Congress, September 26-30 in Amsterdam. The program is the largest ever to raise awareness of the importance of lung health among patients with lung diseases, health care professionals, and researchers. It is hoped that the public and policy makers will also recognize that they have to take appropriate preventative steps (both primary and secondary) to prevent lung diseases.
Each year, the program will take a different topic: This year, during the ERS Congress in Amsterdam, the central theme was “Take the Active Option,” which emphasizes the essential role of physical activity in preserving health (primary prevention). Exercise training is standard in pulmonary rehabilitation programs and the emphasis on increasing and maintaining physical activity even with pulmonary disease is essential. Increasing exercise tolerance and being active has a profound effect on lung health, exercise capacity, exacerbation, and hospitalization rate. All improvements contribute to curb the burden of lung diseases on society and the health care system (secondary prevention).
In the video published on the ERS/ELF website, Professor Dr. Thierry Troosters introduces the concept of “Take the Active Option” and explains the role of activity and pulmonary rehabilitation in lung health. Click below to watch the video.
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