Deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) is rising in rural areas and has generated a widening rural-urban gap in CLRD deaths over the past 20 years. CLRD, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and more prevalent in rural areas. According to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the most notable increases in CLRD-associated mortality in rural America occurred in middle-aged adults, females, and non-Hispanic whites.
Rural Reporter