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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Who has it?
The exact prevalence of COPD is not well defined, yet it affects tens of millions of Americans and is a serious health problem in the U.S. According to national survey data, it is estimated that more than 12.1 million individuals suffer from COPD, and the true prevalence of individuals with chronic airflow obstruction symptoms may be as high as 24 million.
The majority of people suffering from COPD have chronic bronchitis, although emphysema is often a more problematic disease. Emphysema often results in a greater decrease in quality of life and an increase in death compared to chronic bronchitis.
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death due to disease exceeded only by cancer, heart disease, and stroke. COPD is the only cause of death that has increased in frequency over the past 30 years and is projected to become the third leading cause of death by the year 2020.
Although the disease is more prevalent in males, the number of females affected is increasing at an alarming rate because the number of women smokers is increasing at a greater rate than the number of male smokers. In fact, recent studies from developed countries show that the prevalence of the condition is now almost equal in men and women. COPD affects Caucasians more often than it affects other race groups because of increased smoking in this group. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of COPD cases are caused by smoking; a smoker is 10 times more likely than a nonsmoker to die of COPD. People older than 65 years of age are the most susceptible to the disease. Emphysema is more often seen in people of advanced age, whereas chronic bronchitis is seen in all age groups. If you smoke, you have an increased chance for COPD.
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Who has it?
