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How many people does COPD effect? |
- An estimated 16 million Americans are diagnosed with COPD.
- It is likely that an additional 14 million or more COPD cases (those in patients with minimal or no symptoms at all) are undiagnosed. Thus, the true prevalence of COPD may be as high as 30 to 35 million cases.
- COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 65 to 84, and it is the fifth leading cause of death for people ages 45 to 64 and those age 85 and older.
- More than 100,000 Americans died of COPD in 1997.
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| What Causes COPD? |
- Cigarette, Pipe, cigar and other types of tobacco smoking
- Passive exposure to cigarette smoking
- Occupational dusts and chemicals
- Air pollution
- Genetic factors (less than 5 percent of cases).
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