Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults Aged 18 and Over in the United States, 1998–2009

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes substantial morbidity
and mortality (1) and may be unrecognized in its early stages. Chronic lower
respiratory disease (CLRD), which includes both COPD and asthma, was the
third leading cause of death in the United States in 2008 (2). COPD includes
chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which both make emptying air from the
lungs progressively more difficult and can be associated with cough, mucus
production, wheezing, and breathlessness (1,3). Risk factors include primarily
cigarette smoking, but also exposure to noxious particles or gases, recurrent
infection, diet, and genetic factors (1). COPD is often preventable, but there
is no cure. Treatment can control symptoms and slow disease progression
(1). This report presents trends in COPD prevalence, hospitalization, and
death rates, and detailed recent estimates for population subgroups. Asthma
is excluded from this report because it is considered a different condition
with fully reversible symptoms, although some people may have asthma and
COPD concurrently (1,3).