Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Revealing the gut's crucial role in lung disease

Research led by the Centenary Institute, the University of Technology Sydney, and the Hunter Medical Research Institute suggests that the gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary ...

Medications

Gabapentinoids associated with severe exacerbation of COPD

A population-based cohort study of more than 10,000 persons using gabapentinoids found that their use was associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. This study supports ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

COPD set to reach about 600 million cases worldwide by 2050

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is projected to continue increasing through 2050, approaching 600 million patients with COPD globally by 2050, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in ...

Health informatics

Research shows prevalence of COPD stable overall from 2011 to 2021

From 2011 to 2021, there was no change in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overall, but increases were seen among adults aged ≥75 years, those in micropolitan counties, and among current or ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Physical activity inversely tied to COPD symptom burden

Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is inversely associated with symptom burden in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study recently published online in Chronic ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Pivotal role of TLR7 protein revealed in lung disease

Researchers have revealed that the protein Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), usually associated with antiviral defense in the body, surprisingly, exacerbates lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ...

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of two commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. In contrast to asthma, the limitation of airflow is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

COPD is caused by noxious particles or gas, most commonly from smoking, which trigger an abnormal inflammatory response in the lung. The inflammatory response in the larger airways is known as chronic bronchitis, which is diagnosed clinically when people regularly cough up sputum. In the alveoli, the inflammatory response causes destruction of the tissues of the lung, a process known as emphysema. The natural course of COPD is characterized by occasional sudden worsenings of symptoms called acute exacerbations, most of which are caused by infections or air pollution.

The diagnosis of COPD requires lung function tests. Important management strategies are smoking cessation, vaccinations, rehabilitation, and drug therapy (often using inhalers). Some patients go on to requiring long-term oxygen therapy or lung transplantation.

Worldwide, COPD ranked sixth as the cause of death in 1990. It is projected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020 due to an increase in smoking rates and demographic changes in many countries. COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S., and the economic burden of COPD in the U.S. in 2007 was $42.6 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.

COPD is also known as chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and chronic obstructive respiratory disease.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA