Folz discusses COPD Awareness Month
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and Kentucky holds a high burden with the disease.
Kentucky ranks No. 1 in the nation with the highest:
- Overall adult COPD prevalence rate in the country
- Cigarette use among youth ages 12 to 17
- Smoking attributable adult mortality
COPD is underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially for women who have a bigger problem than men getting a proper diagnosis.
Women are also 37 percent more likely to have COPD and account for more than half of COPD deaths in America, said Rodney Folz, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Louisville Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Disorders Medicine, and U of L Physicians – Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine.