Almost 100 million adults have COPD in China

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is widespread in China with 8.6% of the country’s adult population – almost 100 million people -suffering from the chronic lung disease, according to a new Tulane University study published in The Lancet. The study, which provided lung-function screenings for more than 50,990 participants, is the largest survey of COPD across age groups ever conducted in China, researcher say. COPD, an inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow into the lungs, is the third leading cause of death in China. It is caused by long-term exposure to irritants in the air, including cigarette smoke. During the