Emphysema - Description

Emphysema is the most common cause of death from respiratory disease in the United States. It is generally caused by heavy cigarette smoking. In a small number of cases, it is caused by an inherited defect.

Emphysema is most common among people over the age of fifty. In the late 1990s, males are considered more likely to develop the disorder than females. However, that pattern is changing. The number of women who smoke is increasing rapidly. As this number continues to increase, the number of women who die of emphysema will also increase. In 1999, there were around two million people in the United States with emphysema.