It seems that the severity of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD has largely been overlooked in Canada, and it has been substantially proved by a recent research which got financial backing from the Government of Ontario.

It was found in the 14 year long study that one in four persons above the age of 35 is at a high risk of falling victim to COPD, and the risk is found to be at a staggering three times that of heart attack and prostate cancer cases among men, while the same risk level is being maintained with respect to breast cancer in women.

Initiated in 1996, the study led by Dr. Andrea Gershon of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto combed through records of patients of the age from 35 to 80 in hospitals and via public health insurance, and found a record of 579,466 new cases in COPD in over 35 category.

Being a respirologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Dr. Andrea Gershon made it clear that COPD has become a contentious issue for the health authorities in Canada. However, the point of concern surrounds that people are generally not aware about the health challenges attached with COPD.

Moreover, a report published by the duo of David Mannino of the University of Kentucky and Fernando Martinez of the University of Michigan Health System has underlined that smoking is among the major risk factors for COPD.

Despite having glaring severity, the disease is said to be largely underfunded against other diseases, including cancer.