One in four smokers will get lung disease

I guess it's no surprise that smokers fall victim to various lung diseases -- like lung cancer -- than non-smokers. But, I found it quite starting that one in four smokers will have some kind of disease related to the lungs. That's 25% of smokers having some kind of lung disease in their lifetime. That stat would make me quit if I did smoke, as if there weren't others as well.

Some of the lung diseases that smokers get include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- and it is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease begins with a cough and leads to fatigue, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing -- all as the lungs are destroyed by smoke inhalation.

The results of a study just released from Danish scientists showed that persistent smokers were six times more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than non-smokers.