COPD

"COPD affects more than 16 million Americans and is the fourth highest cause of death in the United States," said Robert Wise, MD, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the Hopkins SCCOR initiative. "It is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death with a rising mortality rate in the United States. It is predicted to be the third largest cause of death by 2020 and has already reached worldwide epidemic proportions."