FIG: 3:

This Figure presents some of the background statistics on COPD rehospitalization.  Overall, it is estimated that about 12.7 million US adults have COPD.[1]  However we believe the actual number is about double that – ie, that there is an underdiagnosis of the disease by about 50% and that in fact the more likely number is 24 million US adults who have some impaired lung function indicating that they may have COPD.

COPD is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.[2]  In 2010, around 134,000 Americans died from COPD , which works out to about 1 in 4 patients or that 1 patient dies from COPD every 4 minutes in the United States. 

In 2010, COPD costs were approximately $50 billion,[3] with approximately 715,000 hospital discharges reported, for a discharge rate of about 23 patients per 100,000 population.[2] 

Finally, besides being the third leading cause of death, COPD is the third leading cause of rehospitalization within 30 days of hospital discharge, which means it is just behind heart disease and cancer.[1]