Ireland has highest lung disease rate in Europe

The Republic has the highest death rate from respiratory disease in Western Europe according to a new report.

The research, compiled by two physicians from Cork and Dublin, shows respiratory diseases kill one in five people in Ireland and costs the health service over €300 million annually.

The report's authors Dr Neil Brennan and Dr Terry O'Connor say: "The report is intended to raise the profile of respiratory system disease among doctors, health care planners and the general public."

Dr Brennan said the report is intended to kick start a process aimed at improving care for patients with lung diseases.

"Lung cancer in Ireland is the third most common cancer in both men and women and survival rates are very low - the one year survival rate is 28% and the five year survival rate is only 10 per cent," he said.

"Along with heart disease and cancer, lung diseases are the third major cause of death and morbidity," he added.