What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

Understanding COPD

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have inflammation of the airways, bronchi, and lung tissue in particular. COPD is usually caused by cigarette smoke or inhalation of harmful compounds. This inflammation leads to a narrowing of the airways, preventing air from passing through. 

Depending on the stage of the disease, the pulmonary alveoli are eventually destroyed: this is called pulmonary emphysema (or emphysema). Emphysema is, therefore, defined by the destruction of the pulmonary alveoli and disappearance of the gas exchange that normally occurs there, resulting in the reduction of the patient's lung capacity. As a result, the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction doubles. 

According to the World Health Organization, COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world, after ischemic heart disease and stroke.

Other factors can increase the risk of COPD or contribute to its worsening:

• Passive smoker. Still, a third of people with COPD have never smoked;
• Air pollution is considered an important aggravating factor, which increases the risk of exacerbation episodes;
• Frequent lower respiratory tract infections in childhood may be responsible for the occurrence of COPD in adulthood;
• Exposure to dust and chemicals, mainly related to certain professional activities, is responsible for 15% of COPD cases;
• Most of the time, COPD leads to decreased physical activity and reduced exercise tolerance. This decline in activity is an aggravating factor for the disease, causing the well-known phenomenon of the deconditioning spiral;
• As with any multifactorial disease, there is also a genetic component: a British study showed that smokers who have in their family circle (first degree of relationship) a person who developed a severe case of COPD before age 55 are three times more likely to develop airway obstruction than smokers without a family history. This study suggests that genetic factors that interact with tobacco consumption influence the onset of the disease.