July 8th, 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 Links, graphics, content, medical information, and statistics may be out of date.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.COPD: out of sight, out of control
The Chronicle Herald, December 13, 2005
By Dr. Dennis Bowie
Where other leading causes of death are static or declining, COPD is rising. The hospitalization rates for COPD patients are increasing, and in Nova Scotia, those rates are 37 per cent higher than the national average. It is estimated COPD afflicts eight per cent of Canadians, which represents about 75,000 Nova Scotians. But since we have higher rates of smoking and respiratory diseases generally, we can assume that figure is extremely conservative. We also believe many patients with this disease go unrecognized. COPD will soon be the province's third leading cause of death.
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