(a.k.a.
COPD
) sub effects:
emphysema, chronic bronchitis
the bottom line
Smokers are ten times as likely as nonsmokers to develop COPD.
just the facts
Cigarette smoking accounts for about 90 percent of all cases of COPD. (1)
Smokers are ten times as likely as nonsmokers to develop COPD. (2)
Sources 1. Fiel SB. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality and mortality reduction. Drugs 1996:52 Suppl 2:55-61 2. Goldring JM, James DS, Anderson HA. Chronic lung diseases. In: Brownson RC, Remington PL, Davis JR, eds. Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Control, Second Edition. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 1998.
definition
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the term that doctors use to refer to permanent conditions that interfere with the flow of air into and out of the lungs. There are two main types of COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In chronic bronchitis, the airways become inflamed and clogged with mucus, causing coughing and difficulty breathing. In emphysema, the alveoli of the lungs become damaged as a result of years of exposure to cigarette smoke. Over time, people with emphysema have more and more difficulty breathing; they may eventually need extra oxygen from a tank in order to breathe. Emphysema cannot be cured, and it tends to get worse over time, interfering more and more with a person's everyday life. Frequently, people die of this disease.
explanation
Cigarette smoking accounts for about 90 percent of all cases of COPD. (1) It is the main cause of this disease, although heredity and other factors may also play a role in some cases. Smokers are ten times as likely as nonsmokers to develop COPD. (2)
