Epidemiology for COPD

In the United States, approximately 16 million persons suffer from COPD. These patients account for 500,000 hospitalizations and 18 billion dollars in direct health care costs per year. Currently, 110,000 deaths per year are attributable to COPD, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. COPD is the only major cause of death increasing in incidence owing to its high incidence in the elderly, a portion of the American population that has dramatically increased over the last few years.