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Jump to full article: CNN, 2001-02-20
Author: Miriam Falco / CNN Senior Medical Producer
Intro: Millions of people in the United States are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and don't even know it, according to a new study.
"It's the Rodney Dangerfield of chronic diseases," said Dr. Sam Giordano, executive director of American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). But he believes better public screenings and better education for both doctors and patients will help.
AARC is joining the American Lung Association (ALA), the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) and the American College of Chest Physicians and in a national education campaign to raise awareness of the condition.
The groups want to "let people know about the very great impact COPD is having on American lives," explained Dr. Norman Edelman, a scientific consultant and spokesman for the ALA.
COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 112,000 people each year, according to the lung association.
The study, funded by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, highlights two points, said Dr. Jill Ohar, a professor of medicine at St. Louis University and a consultant on the survey. "First, there are many more patients out there with COPD than carry a firm diagnosis from a doctor and, secondly, patients are more symptomatic than they tell."
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