ATLANTA, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- About 14 million Americans may have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- a lung condition primarily due to smoking and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States -- and not even know it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.
Ten million adults were listed as diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD in 2000, the CDC said. Of those, about 1.5 million adults visited emergency rooms due to COPD-related conditions, 726,000 were hospitalized and 119,000 died.
In addition, data from a large government study -- the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III -- estimates 14 million adults suffer from the condition without diagnosis, bring the total for COPD to 24 million Americans.
The CDC is encouraging physicians to test lung function in current and former smokers and anybody with respiratory problems, the agency's David Mannino said at a news briefing. Mannino also urged people with a history of smoking or respiratory problems to discuss the condition with their doctors.
COPD actually is a group of diseases -- including emphysema and chronic bronchitis -- that obstruct airflow in the lungs. Its symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic cough and phlegm production. The condition can be so debilitating that it limits people's ability to work or carry out daily activities.
Barry Make, director of the emphysema program at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, told UPI one reason people do not realize they have COPD is it is "a silent disease. People are often in the early stages of disease and do not have symptoms, so it's hard to know to get tested." Or, they might ignore some of their symptoms and avoid seeing a doctor.
In addition, Make said, although COPD is a leading killer of adults, it is associated with smoking so it has not received as much attention as heart disease and cancer. He recommended all smokers or former smokers over the age of 40 have their lung function tested, especially if they exhibit "smoker's cough," a sign of bronchitis. People with shortness of breath should also get tested, he said.
CDC also found in 2000, women for the first time surpassed men in number of deaths from COPD. About 800 more women than men and their rate of death from the disease has tripled over the last 20 years. This reflects an increase in the number of women who smoke, a trend that first began in the 1940s. The disease can take decades to show up, Mannino said. Typically, lung function decline begins in smokers in their forties and death occurs when they reach their sixties or seventies.
Overall, the number of COPD cases has decreased over the last 25 years among adults younger than 55, Mannino said. This is due largely to an overall decrease in smoking since the 1960s and suggests the disease may continue to decline.
However, Make said he believes the "incidence of COPD is rising and will continue to rise." He predicted in the next 10 years it will probably move up from fourth to become the third leading cause of death. He also noted COPD is "an issue worldwide, too" and is among the top 10 leading causes of death around the globe.
The most effective treatment for COPD is to stop smoking, Make advised. However, there are some effective medications, such as bupropion and nicotine patches, now available to aid people with the condition.
Medications also are available that may prevent symptoms of COPD from worsening, and medications are in development that appear to decrease the shortness of breath. Other options are also available such as pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen, which can be life saving, Make said.
(Reported by Steve Mitchell, UPI Medical Correspondent, in Washington)
