Mortality due to respiratory diseases increased by 4.9% in Spain.

-The second most frequent cause of death in Spain were disorders of the respiratory system, such as chronic obstructive respiratory diseases (COPD), pneumonia or lung cancer

-the deceased by this type of ailments have increased compared to the data collected the previous year, adding 629 deaths more

-10.9% of every 100 of those killed are patients with diseases related to respiratory system

Spain, April of 2013.- respiratory diseases were the second leading cause of death in Spain, according to the latest data published by the National Institute of statistics (INE). While ischaemic diseases of the heart and heart failure caused a total of 57.926 deaths, lung cancer, chronic obstructive chronic diseases such as COPD and pneumonia joined 45.129 deaths, during 2011. “These figures put in relief the prevalence of this type of ailments in Spain and demonstrate the importance and the need for prevention, treatment and social awareness of them, in order to improve the life expectancy of these patients,” says Dr. José Miguel Rodríguez González Moropulmonologist and director of institutional relations of the Spanish society of Pneumology and thoracic surgery (SEPAR).

The mortality from respiratory disorders has increased in Spain 4.9%, despite the downward trend that had been in the previous two years. This increase, representing 629 deaths is due to different causes, as the high rate of smoking, the aging population or the under-diagnosis of some of these ailments.

The data report by the INE also reveals that the highest incidence of relative mortality in men front women arose in respiratory diseases, Cabinet of SEPAR communication with 108,1 deceased against 75.6; Similarly to what happens with the deaths by external causes and tumors.

It should also be noted that within tumors, the cause of more deaths were lung cancer, adding 1.6% more deaths than in 2010. Differentiating by sex, this type of cancer has also been has caused more male mortality with 17,479 deceased men.

The number of deaths due to diseases of the respiratory system within the countries that form the European Union, Spain is located in seventh place with a rate of 45.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, preceded by United Kingdom (67.6), Ireland (60.5), Portugal (57.1), Greece (49.1), Netherlands (48.1) and Malta (47.2). Respiratory diseases have a great impact on mortality that occurs each year in Spain. Of the total deaths recorded in the country during the year 2011, 387.911 people, a 10.9% of these were caused by diseases of the respiratory system, data are added that deaths by cancer of lung (21.058 people), included in the mortality rate of the tumors.

Respiratory diseases include asthma, which affects more than 3 million Spaniards, COPD affecting 1.5 million, between 1.5 and 2 million sleep apnea and smoking, which affects about 10 million Spaniards and age of onset in this habit that soon turns into a disease is at the age of 13. Likewise, in Spain a 20,000 annual cases of lung cancer, leading cause of death among which causes cancer, are diagnosed which represents 18.4% of tumours among men (18,000 cases) and 3.2% among women (2,000 cases). Currently, in Spain 18,000 people die a year due to COPD; a disease that recorded a diagnosis of 70% below; like sleep apnea, whose diagnostic infra is 80%. These figures indicate that the prevention of respiratory diseases, the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment are vital ”, says Dr. Rodríguez González Moro.