(File Photo of the Allegheny Health Network Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today the opening of a new specialized clinic that is dedicated to providing advanced care for patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

It is called the AHN Advanced COPD Clinic, and it offers therapies that are cutting-edge and an approach that is multi-disciplinary to significantly improve the quality of life for patients that are suffering from COPD that is severe.

It is based at AHN Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) and the Breathing Disorders Center at the AHN McCandless Outpatient Center.

COPD is a progressive lung disease which causes breathing difficulties and hinders airflow.

It is caused primarily by prolonged exposure to smoke from cigarettes and pollution from the air.

COPD stands as the third-leading cause of death worldwide and it affects millions of Americans.