How common is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) develops over many years (sometimes 10 to 30 years) and is most commonly diagnosed in people older than 60. Because of this, COPD generally is considered a disease of older adults. COPD is sometimes called chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) or chronic airflow obstruction (CAO).

In the United States:¹

• About 10 million people have been diagnosed with some form of COPD, and as many as 24 million more may be undiagnosed.
• COPD is the fourth most common cause of death.

COPD is the fifth most common cause of death worldwide.¹ The World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, COPD will become the third most common cause of death worldwide.²

The disease is more common in:

• Smokers. Nearly all people with COPD (80% to 90%) have a history of significant cigarette use.¹
• White people than people of other races.
• Older adults than younger people.

Men and women are affected equally. Some studies suggest that women are more susceptible to the effects of tobacco smoke than men.³ This may be a concern, given that COPD symptoms develop in at least 10% to 15% of long-term smokers; some studies indicate up to 50% of long-term smokers older than age 45 develop COPD.^{1, 4}

Citations

1. Staton GW (2004). Chronic obstructive diseases of the lung. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., Scientific American Medicine, section 14, chap. 3. New York: WebMD.

2. Calverley PW (2003). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lancet, 362: 1053–1061.

3. Pauwels RA, et al. (2001). Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: NHLBI workshop summary. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 163(5): 1256–1276.

4. Lundbäck B, et al. (2003). Not 15 but 50% of smokers develop COPD?-Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Studies. Respiratory Medicine, 97(2): 115–122.