Chronic Cough and Phlegm in Subjects Undergoing Comprehensive Health Examination in Japan - Survey of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Epidemiology in Japan (SCOPE-J).

This study demonstrated that subjects identified to have chronic cough and phlegm in comprehensive health examination settings were symptomatic, while most of them did not receive any treatment for respiratory diseases and did not have airflow limitation. Screening subjects for chronic cough and phlegm in a comprehensive health examination followed by a detailed examination of screened subjects could be an effective approach for better management of chronic cough and phlegm. Smoking cessation should be included in the management, in consideration that around 40% of subjects with chronic cough and phlegm were current smokers.