Gasping for Air

COPD’s risk factors and treatment options.

- Samantha Rideout

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE pulmonary disease (COPD) is marked by breathing trouble, coughing and, often, phlegm in the airways. Triggered by damage and/or inflammation in the lungs, this condition can worsen over time and may prove fatal. In the European Union, respiratory problems—mainly COPD and pneumonia—are the third most frequent cause of mortality after circulatory disease and cancer, responsible for around 83 deaths per 100,000 people each year.