Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fare worse than men

Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fare worse than men both in terms of the severity of their disease and their quality of life and this may account for the higher death rate among female patients with COPD, according to a study of the lung-robbing disease.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 120,000 Americans in 2002. Since 2000, women have surpassed men in the number of deaths attributable to COPD.

Researcher Dr Claudia Cote, assistant professor of medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa, who has studied it believes women with COPD do worse than their male counterparts because they are under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed and have less access to health care.

While her study findings may appear discouraging for women with COPD, the way in which the patients were assessed can lead to improvements in treatment for all COPD patients, Cote said.

“We should see COPD as a treatable disease and be aggressive in the management of our patients. Maybe then we’ll be able to impact survival,” she said.

“COPD no longer has to be seen as a chronic, relentless, and fatal disease; we can help patients live longer with better quality of life.”