COPD-RISK FACTORS

SUMMARY

1. Smoking: accounts for >95% burden of disease. All smokers develop airway inflammation. Around ½ develop airflow limitation only 10-20% develop clinical disease.

2. Organic and inorganic dust and fume exposure.

3. Smoke from cooking (solid fuel fires).

4. Bronchial hyper-responsiveness.

5. Respiratory infections/mucous hypersecretion.

6. Genetic e.g. alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].