COPD? What’s that? Oh, yeah...it’s a disease that has to do with
emphysema. Old men get it, right?” Well, yes… but unfortunately
for women the face of COPD has changed. COPD (Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - a combination of emphysema and
chronic bronchitis), is now not only as common in women as it is
in men; but in the year 2000 women – for the first time ever –
passed up men in deaths due to COPD. Researchers are just
beginning to scratch the surface in learning about COPD in women
– how women differ from men in diagnosis, smoking addiction and
quitting, and in the disease itself. Here’s some of what they’ve
found so far. The prevalence of COPD is increasing in women. In
addition to this increase, rates of hospitalization in women are
also rising. Since the year 2000 US deaths resulting from COPD
in women have exceeded those in men. Differences in Smoking and
Quitting COPD in women can be different than COPD in men. Some
of the rise in COPD prevalence in women may be explained by
increased tobacco u