Ireland and Britain have the most deaths from respiratory disease in the European Union, according to a survey released today.
Only countries of the former Soviet Union - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - have more deaths from lung cancer, asthma, pneumonia and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
The European Lung White Book, the first comprehensive survey on respiratory health produced by the ERS, shows Denmark and Portugal also have respiratory death rates higher than the EU and European average.
France, Germany, Greece and Italy have some of the lowest death rates due to lung diseases.
"Respiratory diseases are the leading cause of death in Europe, and indeed worldwide, yet despite these statistics these illnesses have a lower profile than many other disease areas such as heart disease," said Professor Walter McNicholas, the president of the European Respiratory Society (ERS).
Treating respiratory illnesses in Europe costs nearly €102 billion each year, according to the report. Although smoking is a leading cause of breathing difficulties, lung disease is also influenced by environmental factors and occupational hazards.
The report says more people in Britain suffer from asthma than anywhere else in Europe. Up to 13 per cent of Britons have the disease compared to 0.28 per cent of people in Georgia, which has the lowest rate.