Regular health assessment using simple questionnaires could significantly reduce the global burden of COPD, suggests a study by a team of researchers at the University College London. This international study, published in JAMA, found that people at high-risk of COPD could be identified in 7-8 minutes using either a questionnaire alone or in combination with a Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) assessment. The study had chosen 10,709 male and female adults from three distinct settings – semiurban Bhaktapur, Nepal, urban Lima, Peru and rural Nakaseke, Uganda. Three screening tools –COLA 6, CAPTURE PEF and LFQ – were used and the study found that 95% of the COPD cases were previously undiagnosed, 49% were clinically significant as defined by symptoms and or exacerbation burden, and 16% had severe or very-severe disease measured on spirometry.