Lung disease is being under-reported

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease goes unrecognized on death certificates.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease which causes breathlessness and disability. But many of those with COPD don't realize that this is what is wrong with them. Often this is because they have never actually had their lung function measured.

A team at Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark, looked at whether COPD is being missed as a cause of death. They used data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study where around 14,000 subjects have been followed since the mid-1970s. All had their lung function measured at the start. This identified patients with COPD. When the corresponding death certificates were examined, however, only 25 per cent of those with severe COPD had this stated as the cause of death. For those who had very severe COPD, this was only given as cause of death in 22 per cent of cases. The analysis suggests that COPD is being under-recognized in many cases.

Source
European Respiratory Journal October 2006

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