Copd: it also meets non-smokers

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD for short, is known to many as a typical smoking disorder. Not only people who smoke are suffering from COPD. Every third patient is a nicotine abstainer. Canadian scientists have now discovered which factors in non-smokers favor the disease.

Copd: it also meets non-smokers

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD for short, is known to many as a typical smoking disorder. Not only people who smoke are suffering from COPD. Every third patient is a nicotine abstainer. Canadian scientists have now discovered which factors in non-smokers favor the disease.

Wan Tan and colleagues from the University of British Columbia used data from 5176 individuals who had participated in the Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease Study. 6.4% of non-smokers suffered from COPD, among smokers the proportion was 15.3%. Overall, nonsmokers accounted for almost one third of all COPD patients in the study.

Preloaded lung

In general, if the lung was already burdened by other illnesses, it increased the risk of COPD. This relationship was most evident for asthma. 36 percent of non-smoking COPD patients suffered from this condition. However, the so-called "asthma COPD overlap syndrome" also affects smokers - with a share of 30 percent. In non-smokers, Tan and his colleagues also identified childhood hospitalization for COPD-promoting respiratory disease.

Overall, the group of non-smokers with COPD consisted largely of women. This may be the reason why the study revealed the relationship between lung disease and the following risk factors for women only: in addition to passive smoking, heating with coal or wood also seemed to promote the development of lung disease. At least if the women heated their apartment or house in this way for more than ten years.

More specific therapeutic approaches

The study provided yet another important result: COPD was less serious in non-smokers than in the subjects who repeatedly resorted to the stinking: While among the nicotine abstinence 43 percent regularly had moderate to severe respiratory distress, it was the smokers 62 percent.

The pathological enlargement of the alveoli, the so-called pulmonary emphysema, could even be detected only in the smoker group. Tan: "If we know the differences in the course of the disease in smokers and non-smokers, more targeted therapies are possible in the future."

Source: Tan W.C. et al.: Characteristics of COPD in never-smokers and ever smokers in the general population: results from the CanCOLD study, Thorax 2015; 70: 822-829 doi: 10.1136 / thoraxjnl-2015-206938

Copd: it also meets non-smokers

FAQ - 💬

❓ Can a non smoker have COPD?

👉 Smoking, asthma, or air pollution account for many COPD cases, but up to 30% of cases occur in people who never smoked, and only a minority of heavy smokers develop the disease, suggesting that there are other risk factors at play.

❓ Is COPD from smoking only?

👉 COPD is usually caused by cigarette smoking, though long-term exposure to other lung irritants, like secondhand smoke, can also contribute to COPD. As many as 1 out of 4 Americans with COPD never smoked cigarettes.

❓ How do you get COPD besides smoking?

👉 Exposure to air pollutants such as industrial chemicals, fumes and dust in the workplace over a long period of time can compromise lung health. Other substances that irritate the lungs, like air pollution, dust, or industrial chemicals, may also contribute to COPD.

❓ How long can a non smoker live with COPD?

👉 One study found that a small drop in life expectancy (about 1 year) for people with COPD who had never smoked.

❓ What are the 3 causes of COPD?

👉 Long-term exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke and dust, fumes and chemicals (which are often work-related) can cause COPD.

❓ Who is at risk for COPD?

👉 Most people who have COPD are at least 40 years old when symptoms begin. A condition that runs in families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency: If you are born with this condition, smoking or long-term exposure to fumes or dust can lead to lung damage and COPD.

❓ Does COPD go away?

👉 There's currently no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but treatment can help slow the progression of the condition and control the symptoms. Treatments include: stopping smoking – if you have COPD and you smoke, this is the most important thing you can do.

❓ Can I live 20 years with COPD?

👉 Can you live 10 or 20 years with COPD? The exact length of time you can live with COPD depends on your age, health, and symptoms. Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis.

❓ How long does it take to go from stage 1 COPD to Stage 4?

👉 Stage 1: 0.3 years. Stage 2: 2.2 years. Stage 3 or 4: 5.8 years.

❓ What is the best medicine for COPD?

👉 A medication approved for people with severe COPD and symptoms of chronic bronchitis is roflumilast (Daliresp), a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor. This drug decreases airway inflammation and relaxes the airways.

❓ Is stage 1 COPD curable?

👉 There's no cure for COPD. But it can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your condition will be placed in one of four categories: Stage 1 Symptoms are mild and often unnoticed, except during times of exertion.

👉 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered a disease of smokers and former smokers, but experts estimate that approximately 25% of those who develop the disease have never smoked. Risk factors for nonsmokers include exposure to toxins (secondhand smoke and others), genetic predisposition, and respiratory infections.

👉 Both people who currently do not smoke (non-smokers) and people who have never smoked (never-smokers) can get COPD. Other risk factors besides smoking help predict COPD in never-smokers.

👉 Causes and Differences in Symptoms and Outcome. COPD is more common in people who have smoked, but does occur in nonsmokers, both former smokers and never smokers. Causes may include environmental exposures, occupational exposures, secondhand smoke, childhood infections, and genetic factors.

👉 The prevalence of COPD among never smokers varies widely among different regions of the world. In the United States and Europe, studies most often report around 20 percent of people with COPD to be never smokers, and that number may be rising.


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