Chronic Obstuctive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a large group of lung diseases characterized by airflow obstruction and is often associated with symptoms related to difficulty breathing, but can be present without any symptoms. Other lung conditions may develop for individuals with COPD, most frequently chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The primary cause of COPD is smoking (80-90% of cases); however, an increasing number of epidemiologic studies have reported associations between indoor and outdoor air pollution exposures and COPD, suggesting that environmental exposures could be driving a percentage of the remaining cases. The most prominent indoor exposures are smoke from tobacco and the use of biomass fuels, while the most common non-occupational outdoor exposures are particulate matter (PM10 & PM2.5), ozone, and sulfur dioxide from automobiles and industrial sources. The Data Explorer presents information on the number of people who were hospitalized or who visited the emergency room for COPD during a year.

Learn More About Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease:
CT DPH Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
CDC Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
American Lung Association COPD
COPD Foundation

The Nationally Consistent Data Measures (NCDMs) for COPD are:

Emergency Department Visits
• Annual number of emergency department visits for COPD
• Age-adjusted rate of emergency department visits for COPD among persons 25 and older per 10,000 population
• Crude rate of emergency department visits for COPD among persons 25 and older per 10,000 population

Hospitalization
• Number of hospitalizations for COPD
• Age-adjusted rate of hospitalization for COPD among persons 25 and older per 10,000 population
• Crude rate of hospitalization for COPD among persons 25 and older per 10,000 population

Each of the COPD NCDMs are available using the charts on this page.

• Select the measure using the Measure dropdown.
• Choose the grouping by selecting an option from the X-Axis dropdown.
• Filter the results by any of the available demographic options by checking the option in the corresponding dropdown.
  If no option is selected the total for that demographic will be used when calculating the results.
  For example if no county selection is made the data will be state totals.
• Press the filter button to redraw the chart.