A lung disease from the Dickensian era has returned, doctors have warned.
Diagnoses of bronchiectasis have risen over the past decade, particularly among well-off women, said researchers.
The incurable disease, which causes sufferers to cough up mucus and blood, now affects more than 1 per cent of pensioners.
Death rates for those with the disease are twice as high as in the general population.
Jeremy Brown, professor of respiratory infection at UCL and the report’s senior author, said: “The disease has had a resurgence in recent years, particularly among more well-off members of society. This could be partly down to improved diagnosis . . . but we need better treatment options.”