Shortness of breath may signal Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — a warning emphasized by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) as it calls on the community to strengthen respiratory health awareness in observance of World COPD Day 2025.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a common respiratory illness among the elderly, causing breathing difficulties and easily leading to severe complications. The disease progresses silently but dangerously. Most patients only go to the hospital when the disease is already at a late stage, with severely reduced lung function, costly treatment, and limited effectiveness.
According to Dr. Le Hong Nga, Deputy Director of HCDC, COPD has been and continues to be one of the greatest global health challenges, ranking as the third leading cause of death worldwide, with more than 3.2 million deaths annually. Alarmingly, most of these deaths could be prevented if the disease were detected early, managed properly, and risk factors were reduced.
Amid air pollution, dust, and other respiratory risk factors, COPD is quietly becoming a hidden threat, requiring everyone to proactively recognize and protect their lungs. Although preventable and treatable, COPD progresses silently and is often overlooked in its early stages. Many patients only discover the disease when they already have prolonged symptoms such as coughing, sputum production, shortness of breath, or when hospitalized due to dangerous exacerbations.
In Vietnam, a survey by the Vietnam Lung Association recorded about 1 million people with COPD, but more than 70 percent are unaware of their condition. For many years, COPD has quietly spread, seriously affecting health, labor productivity, and medical costs. According to the report “The Global State of COPD – Driving Change to Address the Lung Health Crisis”, initiated by the COPD Action Alliance, COPD is currently the third leading cause of death worldwide, only after cardiovascular disease and stroke.
COPD can’t be completely cured, but it can be prevented and controlled. Experts recommend absolutely not smoking and avoiding passive smoke exposure as the most effective preventive measures. Limiting exposure to polluted environments by wearing masks outdoors, especially when passing through dusty or polluted areas, ensuring clean, well-ventilated living spaces, and avoiding cooking indoors with coal or wood stoves are essential. Annual influenza vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination are effective ways to reduce the risk of respiratory infections, which often trigger dangerous COPD exacerbations.
According to WHO statistics, more than 400 million people worldwide are diagnosed with COPD each year. In Vietnam, epidemiological studies show a prevalence of 4.1 percent among people over 40 years old, with a continuing upward trend due to increasing tobacco use and environmental pollution.
