Public Health
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the 5th largest killer in the UK and the second most common cause of emergency hospital admissions and one of the most costly inpatient conditions treated by the NHS. 2007/2008 there was 2,026 patients with COPD registered with GP practices across Hounslow. | |
| COPD describes conditions due to lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The disease damages airways in the lungs, causing them to become narrower and making it harder for air to pass through. The most important risk factor is smoking. |
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| The likelihood of developing COPD increases the more a person smokes and the longer they have been smoking. Other risk factors are social deprivation, poor diet, occupational exposure to fumes or dust, and in some cases genetic predisposition. |
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