Smoking boosts COPD in women

ROCHESTER, Minn., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say smoking is a key reason for the increasing number of women diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The report, published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, said the death rate from the lung ailment in women rose much faster between 1980 and 2000 than it did for men.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease describes any of a group of illnesses that block airflow through the lungs. It is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. Research shows women with the disease experience more breathlessness, higher rates of depression and lower quality of life than men with the disease.

The Mayo Clinic said the increase in female rates of the disease "likely reflects the increase in the number of female smokers since the 1940s, when advertisers began promoting smoking as a symbol of independence for women."