Chronic lung disease is often not diagnosed

Nearly 67 percent of people in China with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - or COPD - remain undiagnosed, let alone receiving treatment, according to a specialist in respiratory conditions.

Wang Chen, president of China-Japan Friendship Hospital and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in an interview on Thursday that COPD is now the No 3 killer in China, after cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and cancer.

COPD is a group of progressive life-threatening lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. China has nearly 87 million sufferers, according to official estimates.