New GOLD report provides strategy for COPD

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has published a new guide outlining a global strategy for the prevention, diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The report is one of the key resources in the field of COPD. It is updated every few years to include the latest research. This year’s report represents a major update, suggesting significant changes to how COPD is treated.

What’s new in this year’s report?

• A new definition of COPD is provided in the report. It suggests that COPD should be defined by factors of the disease that make it different to other conditions. This is in contrast to previous years when causes and risk factors have also been considered.
• A table has also been added that will help healthcare professionals classify, or group, COPD into different types. This marks a change to recognise the varied nature of the condition.
• The report highlights opportunities to diagnose COPD earlier and treat it appropriately at this time.
• A new definition of a COPD exacerbation has been added. This now focuses on the short-term nature of an exacerbation and encourages healthcare professionals to consider the cause of this flare-up of symptoms.

Why is this important?

The new report presents an opportunity to reconsider the diagnosis, management and treatment of COPD. It puts an emphasis on spotting COPD at an earlier stage, rather than waiting until the condition has progressed. In addition, the report summarises how we can better understand the causes and origin of COPD. This will help group the condition into different categories and enable better strategies to prevent the condition in the future.

You can view the 2023 Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at the GOLD website or read the published summary on the European Respiratory Journal’s website: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2023 Report: GOLD Executive Summary.