IN his lifetime, Rodolfo Vera Quizon, known in the Philippines as Dolphy, entertained millions of Filipinos through his films that stressed love for family and faith in the individual. When he passed away in 2012, the Philippines’s King of Comedy left the important lesson for his countrymen that health is wealth.
Actor-director Eric Quizon and the rest of the Quizon clan believe they have a big responsibility in promoting a healthy lifestyle among the elderly and other Filipinos.
In a health forum in Makati City, the BS Biology graduate of Ateneo de Manila University said the Quizons want to share their lessons and experiences in dealing with the dangers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
“Dad’s generation loved to smoke. Back then, it was fashionable and a stature to smoke. I witnessed how Dad and his friends played poker for three straight days in our house and they smoked continuously. It was like having a chimney in our house,” he said.
Quizon said it is important for the family to share the story of their famous father and to inform people of the necessity to kick the smoking habit because it has become a major killer disease in the country.
COPD is ranked as the seventh leading cause of death, with a prevalence rate of 13.8 percent in Manila. Despite the high incidence of COPD in the Philippines, only 2 percent of cases are diagnosed by doctors in contrast with its overall prevalence. The cause of this under-diagnosis and under-treatment is traced to lack of public health awareness of COPD in the country.
Due to his excessive smoking, Quizon said Dolphy at 46 had to consult a doctor on his smoking problem.
“His lungs were black. Back then, he already had emphysema. Smoking did a lot of damage to his body. The problem was exacerbated by his being an asthmatic,” Quizon said.
At that time, the disease was not yet known as emphysema.
When Dolphy became an octogenarian, Quizon recalled he bought an oxygen concentrator for his father to help him in his breathing.
During his tour in the US for a series of concerts, Quizon recalled he had to request the airlines to accommodate the machine whenever they were on a tour overseas. “It was easier on local trips because everyone knew Dad,” Quizon said.
Sensing that his condition was getting worse, the Quizon family decided to get Dolphy treatment.
“It was emotional for the family. We knew there was no cure for his condition, but our father refused to be tied down and he continued to work,” he said.
Dr. Patrick Moral, vice president of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians, said COPD is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lungs. Cigarette smoking continues to be identified as the most commonly encountered risk factor, accounting for 80 percent to 90 percent of the cases.
Other risk factors that should be taken into account include air pollution, exposure to certain dust, chemicals in the workplace, indoor air pollution from biomass cooking (i.e., firewood/charcoal), and heating in poorly ventilated dwellings. Only a few cases of COPD are caused by genetic condition.
Dr. Imelda Mateo, a member of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians, recommended that a person 40 years old and above must undergo clinical diagnosis because of the risk factors, such as exposure to noxious particles or gases. Further, she said a COPD patient may not feel anything at the start and develop cough and sputum production during the mid-to-late stage of the disease.
Thus, high index of suspicion is needed for any person with risk factors. Spirometry is needed to make a confident diagnosis of COPD. It is one of the diagnostic tools often underutilized in the Philippines.
He said the impact of COPD is not only confined to its ill effects on the individual’s health, but may also result in an economic and social burden that is both extensive and increasing.
In developing countries like the Philippines, Moral said COPD will certainly force two people to give up their work—the person afflicted with COPD and a family member who must now stay home to care for the sick individual. Given that people are often the most vital asset for developing nations, the indirect costs of COPD potentially pose a serious threat to their economies.
Moral said appropriate pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions are needed to reduce the symptoms, frequency and severity of exacerbations and improve health status and exercise tolerance.
“Smoking cessation is, without doubt, still the single most effective way of reducing the risk of developing COPD and delaying its progression,” she said.
“It is important to remember that for COPD patients, early detection of the disease and appropriate interventions are vital. These can help slow down its advance and facilitate the quality of life for the patient,” Moral said.