Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease continues to increase in Hawaii—163 percent since 1965—while other life-threatening diseases have decreased about 65 percent, the state Health Department reports.

COPD—including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma—is the fourth-leading health-related cause of death in the country and the second-leading cause of disability, the department said.

The agency's Chronic Disease Management and Control Branch and Hawaii Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Coalition collaborated to produce the “;Burden of COPD in Hawaii Report 2010”; in recognition of the International Year of the Lung.

Valerie Chang, coalition executive director, said an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 residents have been diagnosed with COPD, and at least the same number have undiagnosed COPD.

Ann Pobutsky, state Health Department chronic disease specialist, said figures are not available on the number of islanders who are disabled or have died because of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. However, she said, “;It's likely that those who are disabled are the diagnosed ones.”;

She said Hawaii and North Carolina are the only states doing COPD surveillance.

Health Director Chiyome Fukino said the department “;recognizes the huge costs of COPD and other lung diseases in terms of death and disability in our state. We also recognize the great importance of collaborating with the international community to increase awareness of lung disease.”;

Emergency room visits by people with the chronic diseases increased 54.8 percent, from 1,263 visits in 2000 to 1,956 in 2005, the Health Department said.

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