COPD more prevalent in poor, rural areas of US

DENVER — People living in rural or small metropolitan areas nationwide had a more than 20% increased risk for COPD than people living in larger, nonrural metro regions, according to study data presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference. Sarath Raju, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues reviewed data from 55,131 adults aged older than 40 years from the National Health Interview Survey from 2009 to 2011. The survey was linked with the Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme and the American Community Survey.