Lung obstruction is characterized by a decrease in airflow and shortness of breath. Common types of lung include which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
During 2007–2010, Roughly 15 percent of adults aged 40 to 79 suffered from obstructive lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a a new stuffy from the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control.
The study found 9.4 of those with lung obstructions suffered mild lung obstruction and 5.3 percent having moderate or worse lung obstruction. A similar percentage of men and women aged 40–79 had lung obstruction overall and at each level of severity.
The study defined mild lung obstruction as an forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) greater than 70 percent predicted among those with lung obstruction. Moderate or worse lung obstruction was defined as an FEV1 less than or equal to 70 percent predicted among those with lung obstruction. People who were identified as having lung obstruction based on supplemental oxygen use were defined as having moderate or worse lung obstruction.
Breaking things down by age, the study reported a lower percentage of adults aged 40 to 59 had any lung obstruction (13.6 percent) compared with adults aged 60 to 79 (17 percent). The study indicated there was a similar difference by age among adults with moderate or worse lung obstruction (3.9 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively). Among adults with mild lung obstruction, there were no differences in the percentages of adults aged 40 to 59 and 60 to 79 with lung obstruction.
Looking at race and ethnicity, the percentage of adults aged 40 to 79 with lung obstruction varied by race and Hispanic origin, according to the study. Non-Hispanic white adults had a higher percentage of any lung obstruction (16.3 percent) than non-Hispanic black adults (13.5 percent) who, in turn, had a higher percentage than Hispanic adults (7.7 percent). This pattern was similar for mild lung obstruction. For moderate or worse lung obstruction, both non-Hispanic white (5.9 percent) and non-Hispanic black (5.6 percent) adults had higher rates than Hispanic adults (1.9 percent).
For the report, CDC researchers analyzed national survey data on adults ages 40 to 79 between 2007 and 2012. The research team looked at results of breathing tests or self-reported oxygen use to determine the prevalence of lung obstruction. The report used 2011 to 2012 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to update these percentages.
The report is available as a PDF at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db180.pdf.
