July 10th, 2008
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This news item is more than a year old. Links, graphics, content, medical information, and statistics may be out of date. We invite you to search, visit our homepage, or contact us to find more current information on the topic you're looking for.Deaths from Lung-Destroying Disease Underestimated
Tue 28 October, 2003 00:18
By Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) - A disease that destroys the lungs and is already a leading cause of death worldwide kills more people than previously thought, British scientists said on Tuesday.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, kills an estimated 2.9 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.
But researchers in London said the real death toll could be much higher.
Reference:
What do chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients die from? A multiple cause coding analysis
Hansell A.L.; Walk J.A.; Soriano J.B.
European Respiratory Journal, 1 November 2003, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 809-814(6)