Key Points

Dyspnea is the sixth vital sign for individuals living with COPD.
Dyspnea is the most common disabling symptom of COPD.
Incapacitating dyspnea is the most common presenting symptom of AECOPD.
People living with COPD experience 2-3 AECOPD per year.
Dyspnea is a subjective symptom of difficult or uncomfortable breathing.
Dyspnea must not be confused with changes in rate or depth of respiration that may not produce a sense of breathlessness.
The affective contribution to a perception of more or less breathlessness remains enigmatic.
Mortality rates are increasing for all individuals over 75 years of age.
In 1999 in Canada, COPD was the fourth leading cause of death in men and the fifth in women. Healthcare costs for COPD in Canada represent an enormous economic burden.