COPD Research Paper

One hundred million deaths have resulted from tobacco use in the 20th century, and up to one billion more from tobacco use are predicted for the 21st century. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is becoming a global public health crisis.1COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production, and wheezing. It is caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or particulate matter, most often from cigarette smoke. People with COPD are at increased risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, and some other respiratory conditions.2 The two most common conditions that contribute to COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

If you have never smoked, don’t start. For those who have, medications and/or smoking cessation programs can be helpful. Another helpful lifestyle change is to avoid secondhand smoke. According to the World Health Organization, 10% of smoking-related deaths are due to secondhand smoke. Also, you should avoid air pollution. In the U.S., dust from unventilated wood stoves and smoke from burning biomass may contribute to the condition. You can check your daily air quality at www.airnow.gov.6Another lifestyle change which can help prevent COPD is to avoid occupational exposures. Miners who work with cadmium and gold have an increased risk. Other exposures linked to COPD include coal dust, chemical fumes, concrete dust, mineral dust, and cotton or gain dust. Occupational exposure may contribute to 20% of all cases. Finally, you should know your family history. If you have a family member with COPD, you can get a blood test to determine whether you carry the gene for AAt deficiency.7Once a patient has been diagnosed with COPD, the main treatment for the disease is a lifestyle change—quitting smoking. In less serious forms of the disease, quitting smoking leads to an improvement in coughing and wheezing symptoms. In severe cases, quitting smoking enables loss of breath to be stabilized and reduces the frequency of coughing and expiration. Quitting smoking restores the annual decline of breath capacity (the forced expiratory volume of air expelled in one second, or FEV1) to a level approaching normal; reduces bronchial