American Lung Association of Colorado

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is an umbrella term for lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States.

While it is difficult to characterize the burden of COPD in the state of Colorado, national data estimates the number of Coloradans with a diagnosis of COPD around 200,000. Given that the prevalence of COPD measured by lung function testing is roughly 2.4 times higher than the number based on self-report, we expect the disease affects between 330,000 and 450,000 people in the state. This number may even be low.

The most common cause of COPD is long-term smoking. Unfortunately, many current and former smokers do not notice or acknowledge their symptoms for years. They may notice that they get short of breath after climbing a flight of stairs, but they write it off to aging and take the elevator. By the time they see a physician, their lungs have already suffered irreversible damage. That's why detecting COPD early is vital.

For more information about COPD, what it is, and what to do about it, follow these links:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fact sheet (on the American Lung Association national Web site.)

COPD Around the Clock Nonmedical hints and suggestions to ease living with COPD.

COPD Lung Health Profiler
Need help with treatment decisions? Use this interactive decision support tool brought to you by the American Lung Association and NexCura, Inc.

Do you have questions about lung health? Speak to a registered nurse or respiratory therapist. Call 1-800-LUNG-USA.

Other lung disease pages:

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Colorado COPD Coalition
Other Lung Diseases
Colorado Lung Health Programs
     Breathing Matters Seminars
     Coping & Caring Workshops
     Flu Shot Clinics
Colorado Support Groups & Pulmonary Rehab
Lung Disease in Culturally Diverse Communities
Resources for Patients and Caregivers