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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: People
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Although many people think first of emphysema when they hear COPD, chronic bronchitis is actually more common and equally serious—because it can lead to emphysema and eventually cause death if it is not controlled.
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Older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, since inflammation is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Since participants in this study were as young as 26, they were unlikely to have developed either clinically significant atherosclerosis or COPD.
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Most people on home oxygen suffer from emphysema, bronchitis or other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to the American Lung Association, more than 16 million people have been diagnosed with COPD and 1.2 million are on home oxygen therapy.
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According to the NHLBI's COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Approximately 12 million Americans are being treated for the disease, and it is estimated that at least another 12 million are unaware that they suffer from COPD. A simple screening test called spirometry can identify those affected by COPD and enable them to start receiving treatment. The COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign targets people over the age of 45, particularly current or former smokers or people at risk for a genetic predisposition to COPD or environmental exposures.
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Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for people who have respiratory disorders such as COPD. Most people who have COPD can benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation, especially people who use oxygen therapy and have often had to go to the emergency room or hospital. Therapy is not limited to people who have mild or moderate COPD.
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Approximately 15% of all chronic smokers will develop the disease. In susceptible people, this causes chronic inflammation of the bronchi and eventual airway obstruction. Other etiologies include alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency(augmented by smoking), byssinosis, and idiopathic disease.
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