Abstract

The configuration of disease is changing worldwide. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are now the leading cause of mortality. These chronic diseases are of long duration and generally slow in progression. A significant proportion of the people who die from these diseases are under 60 years of age. This means that the burden of disease will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. The challenge facing all researchers, and in particular researchers in the respiratory field, is to find innovative ways of reducing this burden in people with chronic respiratory disease.