Chronic lung ailment on the rise

Chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) is set to become the world's third biggest killer by 2012, according to scientists who have discovered that it is on the rise.

Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University tested 9,500 adults aged 40 and over from 12 different countries for the study which is published in the Lancet.

It was found that one in ten have COPD with 11.8 per cent of men and 8.5 per cent of women to be found to have a moderate or higher stage of the disease.

"Our estimates of the overall prevalence and staging of COPD are consistently higher than these figures, which accord with claims that COPD has generally been underestimated in the past," said study leader Dr Sonia Buist.

The study also found that the chance of developing COPD doubled every ten years over the age of 40, while an estimated two million in the UK are yet to be diagnosed.