"For those who may be experiencing a recurrent cough or shortness of breath, particularly those who may have a history of smoking, awareness of the symptoms is not enough. They need to have their lungs tested," said Kiley. "There is no cure for COPD -- but the good news is that we have come a long way in terms of improving how a person with COPD lives, and it only takes a few minutes in the doctor's office to get tested."

The NHLBI analyzed the results of the annual HealthStyles surveys of the public health attitudes, knowledge, practices, and lifestyle habits of consumers, conducted each year by Porter Novelli, communications contractor for the NHLBI's COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign. The results represent a sample of 4,184 consumers through a mailed survey with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. Both surveys were conducted in summer 2010.

The NHLBI initiated the COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign, the first national awareness campaign on COPD, in 2007 to improve knowledge about COPD among those already diagnosed or at risk for COPD as well as health care providers, particularly those in a primary care setting.

Source: NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute