Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases

A study of more than 175,000 Americans found that more than 36 percent of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, are current smokers compared with 22 percent of adults without the illness. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), is a group of diseases characterised by limitation of airflow in the airway that is not fully reversible. The main symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath (dyspnea) lasting for months or perhaps years, possibly accompanied by wheezing, and a persistent cough with sputum. COPD is often a mix of two diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.