New study on COPD Surveillance in United States, 1999-2011

New study on COPD Surveillance in United States, 1999-2011 was published in Chest!!

COPD is a serious public health problem in the United States. In 2008, chronic lower respiratory diseases, of which COPD represents the principal component, became the third leading cause of mortality. Because smoking is the dominant risk factor for COPD and contributed to about 80% of COPD deaths in 2000 to 2004, much of this disease is potentially preventable. People with COPD experience worse health-related quality of life, more disabilities, and higher rates of comorbidities than people without COPD.

This report updates surveillance results for COPD in the United States. For 1999 to 2011, data from national data systems for adults aged ≥ 25 years were analyzed. In 2011, 6.5% of adults (approximately 13.7 million) reported having been diagnosed with COPD.