Awareness of COPD Growing

(November 14, 2008) - More people know about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than ever, but they still aren't sure what to do about it and how dangerous it can be. Awareness of COPD (Read about "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease") is growing, but few Americans have a thorough understanding of the disease, according to a new national survey. The new data show that 64 percent of survey respondents had heard of COPD, compared with 49 percent in a 2004 survey. Among those who reported hearing of COPD, only half recognized the disease as a leading cause of death, and just 44 percent understood it to be treatable.

The fourth leading cause of death in the United States, COPD is a serious lung disease affecting an estimated 24 million Americans. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD and another 12 million may have COPD but remain undiagnosed despite recognizable symptoms. COPD typically affects people over 45, especially those who smoke or have smoked (Read about "Quit Smoking"), and those with risk factors associated with genetics or environmental exposures. Symptoms include chronic cough, sometimes called "smoker's cough," shortness of breath, wheezing, not being able to take a deep breath, and excess sputum production.

While 74 percent of survey respondents correctly identified shortness of breath as a symptom of COPD, only 5 percent recognized chronic cough as a symptom of the disease. Smoking is attributed to as many as 9 out of ten COPD-related deaths, yet most survey respondents - 66 percent - did not recognize smoking as a risk factor. This was especially true among the current smokers surveyed. Just 22 percent recognized that their smoking puts them at greater risk for COPD.

"We are encouraged that people are becoming more aware of the term COPD," said Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., director, NHLBI. "But the survey also indicates that we as a public health community have much more work to do to promote greater understanding of the disease, its symptoms, and risk factors, so that we can improve rates of diagnosis and treatment."