Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is indexed under Respiratory, Obstructive Lung Disease. Also known as COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema.

US prevalence

~14.2 million U.S. adults (6.5%) had physician-diagnosed COPD in 2021 Source: CDC MMWR, Trends in COPD Prevalence Among Adults, 2011–2021. Federal source. Label: VERIFIED.

ICD-10-CM codes

J44, J44.1, J43

Typical onset

Typically >40; diagnosis often in 50s-60s

Course

progressive

Body systems

pulmonary

Sex differences

Historically more common in men; now nearly equal due to female smoking trends

Racial and ethnic differences

Higher in white and American Indian/Alaska Native populations; Black Americans have lower prevalence but may have higher susceptibility per unit smoke exposure

What this page does not establish

These figures describe populations, not individuals, and none of them is a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. Prevalence estimates are approximate and reflect published ranges. Disparity figures are reported patterns, not causes.

Taxonomy last reviewed 2026-05-19. Each figure on the interactive page carries its own source and retrieval date, which can be later than this review.

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