Leonard Nimoy was taken to the UCLA Medical Centre complaining of severe pains in his chest.
The 83 year old actor suffers from COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which makes it extremely difficult to breathe. He has been admitted to hospital several times recently due to the fatal lung disease.
IBTimes report: Famous for his portrayal of the half-Vulcan, half-human starfleet commander Spock, Nimoy broke the news of his diagnosis to his 808,000 followers on Twitter in 2014, saying: “I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP [Live Long and Prosper].”
In 2014, the Star Trek actor was photographed being pushed in a wheelchair at a New York hospital, attached to breathing apparatus.
The main symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, cough, and sputum production. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD, with a number of other factors such as air pollution and genetics also playing a role.
Globally, COPD affects 329 million people or nearly 5% of the population. In 2012, it ranked as the third-leading cause of death, killing over 3 million people.