1 Joan, Princess of Wales, in the 13th century, the wife and consort of Llywelyn the Great, the Prince of Wales; and the daughter of King John of England. Joan, Princess of Wales, in the 13th century, the wife and consort of Llywelyn the Great, the Prince of Wales; and the daughter of King John of England.
1 More than 90% of COPD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. 2  The primary cause of COPD is tobacco smoke (through tobacco use or second-hand smoke).  The disease now affects men and women almost equally, due in part to increased tobacco use among women in high-income countries.
Around 90% of COPD patients in the US have lung damage caused by smoking. Around 20% of smokers will develop COPD during their lives. People who smoke are about 12 times more likely to die from COPD than people who have never smoked. It is important to know that smoking is not the only cause of COPD: In fact, 15% of people with COPD have never smoked. About 100,000 people in the US have a genetic condition, which they were born with, that can cause emphysema.