Disease Proof

It seems pretty obvious to me that smokers will likely encounter lung problems down the line, but a new study has concluded that one in four smokers will develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Robert Preidt of HealthDay News explains that this percentage is higher than what was originally thought:

Overall, 25 percent of the participants developed moderate or severe COPD over the 25 years. Persistent smokers were six times more likely to develop COPD than non-smokers.

During the 25 years, there were 2,900 deaths in the study group. Of those deaths, 109 were directly attributable to COPD, and nearly all those deaths were in people who were active smokers at the start of the study. Only two non-smokers died of COPD.