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Vermont Value:
Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis
Vermont Rank:
Additional Measures:
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Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis
<= 5.6%
5.7% - 6.6%
6.7% - 7.1%
7.2% - 8.8%
>= 8.9%
US Value: 6.8%
Top State(s): Hawaii: 3.5%
Bottom State(s): West Virginia: 14.0%
Definition: Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis
Data Source and Years(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that slowly damages air sacs in the lungs, decreasing airflow and making it difficult to breathe. Chronic lower respiratory diseases, mainly COPD, are the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. The symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, needing to clear the throat frequently and having a chronic cough.
Risk factors for COPD include cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, exposure to smoke from burning fuels, asthma and long-term exposure to lung irritants. While COPD has no cure, its progress and symptoms can be managed. Untreated, COPD may lead to other health complications, including respiratory infections, heart disease, lung cancer and depression. Further, adults with COPD are more likely to miss work than those without COPD.
Medical costs attributed to COPD were $30 billion in 2010. A 2018 study found the direct and indirect costs for employers to be $6,650 per year for a COPD-afflicted worker, nearly double the amount for a worker without COPD.
According to America’s Health Rankings, populations with a higher prevalence of COPD include:
The best way to prevent COPD is to never smoke or stop smoking immediately. The American Lung Association (ALA) offers many smoking cessation programs that can aid in preventing COPD. Moreover, the ALA provides COPD management tools to guide those with COPD through developing a treatment plan with their health care provider.
Other strategies to prevent and/or treat COPD include:
Healthy People 2030 has multiple goals related to COPD, including:
Guarascio, Anthony, Shaunta Ray, Christopher Finch, and Timothy Self. “The Clinical and Economic Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the USA.” ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research, June 2013, 235. https://doi.org/10.2147/CEOR.S34321.
Patel, Jeetvan, Anna Coutinho, Orsolya Lunacsek, and Anand Dalal. “COPD Affects Worker Productivity and Health Care Costs.” International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2018, no. 13 (July 2018): 2301–11. https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S163795.
Pleasants, Roy, Isaretta Riley, and David Mannino. “Defining and Targeting Health Disparities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.” International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Volume 11 (October 2016): 2475–96. https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S79077.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.