Thorax
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Recent trends in physician diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the UK were estimated, with a particular focus on women. ⋯ While prevalence rates of COPD in the UK seem to have peaked in men, they are continuing to rise in women. This trend, together with the ageing of the population and the long term cumulative effect of pack-years of smoking in women, is likely to increase the present burden of COPD in the UK.
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Little is known of the epidemiology of pneumothorax. Routinely available data on pneumothorax in England are described. ⋯ There is evidence of two epidemiologically distinct forms of spontaneous pneumothorax in England. The explanation for the rise and fall in mortality for secondary pneumothorax is obscure.