It's hard to breathe with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - a lung disease that develops slowly and is irreversible by the time you feel short of breath. While there's no cure for COPD, you can do some things to feel better and slow the damage. But, ultimately, COPD is the fifth leading cause of death in men. The good news is, prevention is a real possibility.

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COPD, a group of chronic lung conditions that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is strongly associated with lung cancer, the #1 cause of cancer deaths among men.

Smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Men who smoke are 12 times as likely to die of COPD as those who've never smoked.

So the message is clear:

Don't smoke! If you do smoke, quit.


You can also reduce your risk for COPD by avoiding second-hand smoke and avoiding or limiting exposure to workplace chemicals.


For guidance in giving up smoking, see the following Websites:

Surgeon General's Tobacco Cessation Guideline

CDC's "How to Quit"

Smokefree.gov

Quitsmoking.org

American Cancer Society's Guide for Quitting