news

Ride For Asthma

Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation, committed to improving therapeutic adherence in asthma and COPD, encourage "pedaling to turn it around"

 

Each entire lap of a stationary bicycle located at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau will result in informative training aimed at patients, feel the challenge to achieve 500 laps

One of the main problems among this group of patients is that more than 60% do not correctly follow their treatment with the inhaler

The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is the first center to host this itinerant initiative that is part of the "Breathing is life" program, by Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation

Barcelona, ​​April 2019, 7. Within the framework of the "Breathing is life" program and coinciding with World Asthma Day, which this year is celebrated on May 29, Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation present the itinerant action "Pedale to give it the return to asthma and COPD”. The first center in the State to host the initiative is the Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau in Barcelona, ​​where from April 7 to May XNUMX a stationary bicycle has been installed that seeks to obtain minutes of training aimed at patients with the goal of improving their quality of life.

Each full lap of the bike will translate into one minute of informative training for patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The challenge is to reach 500 laps between the different hospital centers that the facility will tour throughout the year. The training days will take place in 2020.

With this action, Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation seek to raise awareness of the importance of correctly following the prescribed treatment. The lack of therapeutic adherence is one of the main problems in asthma and COPD. It is estimated that more than 60% of patients do not correctly follow their treatment with the inhaler1. On the other hand, it is not by chance that a bicycle is used: the regular practice of physical exercise is especially beneficial among this group of patients.

Difficulty in using inhaler devices is one of the main reasons for low therapeutic adherence. There are patients who have been performing the inhalation technique incorrectly for years. As a consequence, “the medicine cannot be deposited in the lung, so it cannot have its effect”, warns Jordi Giner, a nurse in the Pneumology Service of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and an expert in inhaled therapy. Poor control of the disease so as not to receive the necessary doses implies an increase in symptoms and an increased risk of exacerbations or crises, one of the main causes of hospitalization among these patients.

 

“It is quite complicated for patients to carry out a correct inhaled therapy due to the difficulty involved. Performing inspiration with the necessary force or coordinating inhalation with pulsation is very complicated. In addition, they forget to carry out fundamental steps such as apnea or rinse their mouth after taking the medication”, explains Eva Maroto, a member of the Lovexair Foundation.

 

It doesn't matter when you're late, the important thing is to do it

 

This initiative also aims to encourage people with asthma or COPD to engage in adequate physical activity on a regular basis. "Physical activity and exercise capacity in respiratory patients help maintain lung function and increase survival," explains Dr. Astrid Crespo, Associate Pulmonologist of the Pulmonology Service of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

People with asthma or COPD should take into account a series of recommendations when practicing physical exercise. Dr. Crespo warns that “they have to be stable in their ailment and, in some cases, prior to the activity, the use of rescue medication may be necessary”. These precautions, however, do not have to be an obstacle. "Several studies in patients with asthma have shown that they tolerate physical training, which is why they should be encouraged to exercise regularly, without fear of exacerbating or worsening symptoms," says Dr. Crespo.

Eva Maroto explains that “the main difficulty that patients encounter when performing any type of physical exercise is dyspnea. On many occasions this feeling of suffocation is suffered even when they are at rest. For this reason, the practice of any physical activity is a great effort, in addition to causing fear and anxiety.

About the Lovexair Foundation

 

Lovexair is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care, support and accompaniment of people affected by chronic and rare respiratory diseases. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of these patients and their families and to support health professionals so that they can improve patient care and follow-up.

To achieve this, Lovexair has developed the HappyAir Smart Community, a community of patients, their families and carers, and the healthcare professionals who support them. It offers training and resources in digital health to help them, at a clinical, social and educational level, to manage their respiratory disease and lead an active life.

With the support of health professionals and pharmacists, the Foundation is currently developing projects at a local level aimed at respiratory patients, as well as their families or caregivers, in order to train them for self-care, stimulate their active life and improve their quality of life. http://www.lovexair.net

About the Breathing is Life Program

 

The Breathe is Life Program was born with the aim of contributing to the knowledge and awareness of the population about asthma and COPD, two of the most prevalent respiratory ailments. It offers practical, reliable and quality information from experts in the field. The activities carried out within the framework of the Respirar es Vida Program are aimed at people with asthma and COPD, relatives and friends, as well as the press and health professionals.

 

Chiesi's commitment to chronic respiratory diseases

 

As a result of Chiesi's commitment to the respiratory area, in 2008 the company launched Foster®, the only ICS/LABA combination in extrafine particles, thanks to which a high and homogeneous pulmonary deposit is achieved throughout the bronchial tree, also by small airway Another example of Chiesi's commitment is the Inhaler Adherence Test (TAI), the first specific questionnaire to determine the degree of therapeutic adherence in the use of these devices. The test has been validated in 14 languages ​​to be used in around 160 countries. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical company has developed the iCodex application with a group of COPD experts. The application is based on the CODEX index (comorbiditat, airway obstruction, dyspnea and previous severe exacerbations), and it allows predicting the risk of mortality and readmission in the short and medium term of a patient with COPD after hospital admission.

For more information on the respiratory area consult www.smallairways.es

About Chiesi Spain

Chiesi Spain is part of the Chiesi Group, a pharmaceutical multinational based in Parma (Italy) created more than 80 years ago dedicated to research and development. After more than 20 years in the Spanish market, Chiesi Spain has more than 260 employees and a turnover of more than €99M. It is the 5th subsidiary in Europe and the 6th worldwide in terms of turnover. The main therapeutic areas of Chiesi Spain are respiratory, neonatology and rare ailments, among others. Likewise, it is the first subsidiary of the group to have a unit of self-healing line products.

For more information:  www.chiesi.es

For more information:
Mar Escardo/Andrea Ordax
Hill + Knowlton Strategies
Tel +93 410 82 63
mar.escardo@hkstrategies.com/andrea.ordax@hkstrategies.com

REFERENCES

Plaza V et al. Validation of the 'Test of the Adherence to Inhalers' (TAI) for Asthma and COPD Patients. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2016; 29(2): 142-52.