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COPD Fact Sheet
what is copd?
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is an umbrella term used to describe progressive
lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some
forms of bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing breathlessness.
what are the symptoms??
Symptoms include breathlessness, chronic coughing and wheezing. Many people mistake their
increased breathlessness and coughing as a normal part of aging.
did you know that...
Over 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD and the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute estimates that another 12 million are undiagnosed or developing COPD.i
About 70 percent of all Americans with COPD are younger than 65 years of age.viii
COPD became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2008—twelve years earlier than
predicted.ii
COPD kills more women than men each year. In 2006, COPD killed more American women than
breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.iii
The majority of people are not being diagnosed until they have already lost half of their lung function.ix
COPD is often misdiagnosed as asthma, leading to inappropriate treatment and suboptimal patient
outcomes.x
COPD rarely occurs alone; heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and depression are common
comorbid diseases.xi
Every four minutes an individual dies of COPD.iv
The WHO estimates 210 million individuals worldwide have COPD and total deaths are expected to
increase more than thirty percent in the next ten years. vi
Smoking is not the only cause of COPD; second-hand smoke, occupational dust and chemicals, air
pollution and genetic factors also cause this disease.
Exposure to occupational risks such as air pollutants accounts for 19.2% of COPD casesxii
COPD is relatively easy to diagnose using a spirometry machine, where the patient exhales as much
as possible into a tube.
There’s no cure yet for COPD but treatments are available to help individuals live with their COPD.
2009 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood Diseases, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_02.pdf. Accessed 5/24/11.
iii
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Breast Cancer Statistics: Top 10 Causes of Death for Women in the United States, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics. Accessed 11/18/09.
iv
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, COPD Learn More Breathe Better®, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/what-is-copd/index.htm. Accessed 11/18/09.
v
Morbidity and Mortality: 2007 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood Diseases, pp 17, Chart 2-24, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
vi
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Fact Sheet, World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs315/en/index.html. Accessed 11/18/09.
viii
Lethbridge-Cejku M, Rose D, Vickerie J. Summary health statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2004. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat. 2006;10 (228)
ix
Rennard S, Vestbo J. Natural Histories of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society. http://pats.atsjournals.org/content/5/9/878.full. Accessed 1/16/12.
x
Tinkelman DG, Price DB, Nordyke RJ, Halbert RJ. Misdiagnosis of COPD and asthma in primary care patients 40 years of age and over. J Asthma. 2006 Jan-Feb;43 (1): 75-80.
xi
http://copd.about.com/od/complicationsofcopd/tp/10-Comorbid-Conditions-Associated-With-Copd.htm. Accessed 1/16/12
xii
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/156/8/738.full.pdf
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