How COPD Affects Americans From Coast to Coast

There are around 30 million people affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the U.S., and many are unknowingly living with the disease, having not yet been diagnosed. However, COPD doesn’t affect all Americans equally. According to the COPD Foundation, the prevalence of COPD varies greatly from state to state.

MORE: The four stages of COPD

The highest state prevalence was Kentucky, where 9.3 percent of the general population lives with COPD. Kentucky is closely followed by Alabama (9.1 percent) and Tennessee (8.7 percent). The states with the lowest population of people with COPD were Washington and Minnesota with 3.9 percent each.  The website also states that income plays a large role in COPD risk, with those earning less than $25,000 per year three times more likely to have COPD than those earning more.

MORE: The risk factors for COPD

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