ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 1 -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with severe emphysema strikes women harder than men on clinical and physiological measures, researchers affirmed.

In the first direct comparison study, women with advanced COPD reported greater breathlessness (P<0.0001) and depression than men (P=0.0001) at the same lung function and health status, found Fernando J. Martinez, M.D., of the University of Michigan here, and colleagues.

Anatomy and distribution of emphysema lesions also differed significantly between the sexes, they reported in the Aug. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The overall findings confirmed what has been suspected from prior indirect studies, they said.