Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. People with COPD, the umbrella term for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, often don't get the care they need because of a lack of knowledge of the diseases among both physicians and patients in addition to a lack of awareness and of appropriate diagnosis. Epidemiological research (in association with basic research) is needed to develop a framework to combat this major health problem, by better characterization of the population of men and women at risk and patients with early disease, by better understanding which factors modifiable through health interventions are related to disease severity and progression of COPD. This will be possible through the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD), a pan-Canadian longitudinal study involving approximately 2,000 participants at nine sites. CanCOLD will be the first study to assess COPD consequence in men and women, and to evaluate a conceptual model of disease severity based on patient's health perception (health-related quality of life) and disease evolution. This project will extend to a longitudinal follow up (5 years or beyond) and will allow to have a better understanding of the lifestyle risk factors, not only smoking but also diet, physical activity, environmental exposures and co morbid conditions. The results of the study will greatly help to assist decision makers in developing policies and new solutions to improve the diagnosis, the management of COPD and the organization of care related to chronic diseases, to optimize health care service use and reduce the burden on the society. Furthermore, this Canadian study will enable the resource intensity and research capacity in COPD to address challenging and important research questions in a more concerted and high-impact fashion.