Lung disease undiagnosed in 4 of 5 UK sufferers

More than 80 percent of Britons with a serious long-term lung disease that is linked to smoking do not know they have the illness, health experts said on Thursday.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes bronchitis and emphysema, is a leading cause of death worldwide but it is often undiagnosed.

“It is crucial to identify smokers with COPD and take urgent action to support them in stopping smoking because the most effective way of halting the progression of the disease is to stop smoking,” said Professor Robert West of the charity Cancer Research UK.

West and his team identified 1,093 people with COPD after conducting lung function and saliva tests on 8,215 people over 35 years old. More than 80 percent of them were not aware they had COPD.

The research published online by the journal Thorax found that smokers who had the illness were more dependent on cigarettes and smoked more than people without it.

Deaths from COPD are increasing in most countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates it will become the third-biggest cause of death worldwide by 2020.

The illness afflicts people over 40 who have been smoking for many years. It contributes to other disorders such as pneumonia, heart disease and stroke.

There is no cure for COPD but treatment can relieve the symptoms and therapies to slow its progression are being tested.

The illness begins with a persistent cough and increased mucous. It eventually leads to fatigue, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing as the lungs are destroyed.

“But many smokers think these are normal symptoms of smoking and do not realise that they can be the beginnings of a disease which, in many cases, will leave them disabled or dead if they do not stop smoking,” said West.

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