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12 de November de 2026
COPD symptoms: why 7 in 10 people who have it don’t know it
The symptoms of COPD —cough, phlegm and breathlessness when walking— are often mistaken for the effects of ageing, which is why chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the most underdiagnosed respiratory conditions. According to Dr Àlvar Agustí, specialist in Pulmonology at barnaclínic+, 70% of people with COPD, both worldwide and in Spain, do not know they have it and, as a result, are not receiving treatment.To mark World Pneumonia Day, Dr Agustí explains how to recognise the symptoms of COPD, when it is advisable to have a spirometry test, and why pneumonia is more frequent and more severe in people with this disease. COPD has no cure, but it can be treated: an early diagnosis makes it possible to slow its progression and improve quality of life.
