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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

How common is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is very common. And it's getting more common, especially in women.

COPD is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States.

Source:
World Health Report.
World Health Report 1999: "Making a difference".
Available at: http://www.who.int/whr2001/2001/archives/1999/en/pdf/StatisticalAnnex.pdf (accessed January 2004).

¹ But a lot of people don't know they have it.

Here are some facts about this disease.

Source:
Mannino DM, Homa DM, Akinbami LJ, et al.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease surveillance: United States, 1971-2000.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2002; 51(supplement): 1-16.

Researchers think that 24 million Americans have COPD, but only about half of these people have actually been diagnosed with the disease.
Of the estimated 24 million people who have COPD, more than half are men. But more and more women are being diagnosed with the disease. Experts think this is because more women started smoking after World War II.
COPD is more common among white Americans than black Americans. About 21 million Americans who have COPD are white, and about 1.7 million are black.
In 2000, 119,000 Americans died from COPD.

Sources for the information on this page:

World Health Report.World Health Report 1999: "Making a difference".Available at: http://www.who.int/whr2001/2001/archives/1999/en/pdf/StatisticalAnnex.pdf (accessed January 2004).

Mannino DM, Homa DM, Akinbami LJ, et al.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease surveillance: United States, 1971-2000.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2002; 51(supplement): 1-16.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

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