24 Million in U.S. have COPD; estimated 58% undiagnosed.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

2002 DEC 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, now affects about 24 million Americans, most of them past or current smokers.

Nearly 58% do not even know they may have the disease, say new statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"In 2000, for the first time, the number of women dying from COPD surpassed the number of men," said David M. Mannino, MD. Mannino is the lead author of "The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Surveillance - United States, 1971-2000," reprinted in Respiratory Care.

"These are indeed sobering findings," said David J. Pierson, MD, FAARC, editor in chief of Respiratory Care. "Not only do these new statistics reveal that the disease is on the rise and becoming more prevalent, but it also illustrates the true impact of tobacco smoking on the health of U.S. citizens, and most particularly on women."

The statistics are grim. In 2000, COPD was responsible for 8 million physician office and hospital outpatient visits, 1.5 million emergency department visits, 726,000 hospitalizations, and 119,000 deaths. ...