What is COPD?

COPD, short for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases which include: emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (irreversible) asthma, and severe bronchiectasis. Other names for COPD are Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COLD) and Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD)¹.

Individuals with COPD begin to experience increased breathlessness and a cough that doesn’t go away. Both of these signs are not normal signs of aging; that’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about taking a spirometry test (breathing test) to measure the health of your lungs if you have any of these symptoms. (For more information on taking a spirometry, visit the Getting Tested section of this website.)

Other symptoms of COPD include:

• Chronic coughing (both with and without sputum),
• Wheezing,
• Tightness in your chest.

Facts About COPD

• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) estimates that 12 million adults have COPD, and another 12 million are undiagnosed or developing COPD².

• COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 126,129 deaths in 2003¹.

• COPD kills more women than men each year³.

• COPD will be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. by 2020².

• A person with COPD dies every four minutes in the U.S.

• COPD cost the U.S. economy $32.1 billion, in direct and indirect costs in 2002².

• It is estimated that over 600 million people worldwide have COPD.

• Smoking is not the only cause of COPD. Second-hand smoke, occupational dust and chemicals, air pollution, and genetic factors can also cause COPD¹.

• COPD is relatively easy to diagnose using a spirometry machine, where the patient exhales as much as possible into a tube⁴.

• COPD does not have a cure, but treatments are currently available to help individuals manage their symptoms of COPD⁵.

To learn more about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD, visit the COPD Foundation’s website at www.copdfoundation.org or call 1-866-316-COPD (2673).

^{1 Information and statistics taken from Center for Disease Control (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/copd.htm. Website last accessed 3/18/08.
2 Statistics from National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey: Research for the 1995-2004 redesign. Hyattsville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, NCHS. Vital and Health Stat 2(126), 1999. Last accessed 3/18/08.
3 Statistics from CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/copd/copdfaq.htm#why. Website last accessed 3/18/08.
4 Information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_Diagnosis.html. Website last accessed 3/18/08.
5 Information from the NHLBI available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_Treatments.html. Website last accessed 3/18/08.}