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Post by Blossom/Jackie W. on Oct 4, 2011 9:25:29 GMT -5
COPD in non smokers « Thread Started on Feb 1, 2011, 7:34am » -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an excellent article that was posted by a friend on another board. We've discussed before the stigma of COPD and the first thing everyone asks is "did they smoke?" COPD in non-smokers – a population larger than realized www.housedustmite.com/2010/10/copd-...-than-realized/According to a recent review of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 25% to 45% of patients diagnosed with the disease have never smoked. Yet, almost all of the clinical trials designed to investigate drug remedies for COPD recruit patients who smoke. This throws doubt over the condition itself and pharmacological remedies that may be considered. Risks associated with non-smoking COPD are from biomass fuels, occupational exposure to dusts and gases, history of pulmonary tuberculosis, respiratory-tract infections during childhood, indoor and outdoor air pollutants, poor socioeconomic status and asthma. In one large US study, poorly controlled asthma was found to be a risk even greater than tobacco smoking. Within this category are patients with severe asthma and those who rely upon ‘reliever’ inhalers alone to control symptoms. These patients appear not to understand that expanded bronchial tubes (thanks to reliever medication, but minus steroid support to control reactions) become vulnerable to dust, gas or pollutants that caused their breathing problem in the first place. According to the US-based study noted above, researchers followed 3099 patients for 20 years. Those with active asthma were 10 times more likely to develop symptoms of chronic bronchitis and 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with emphysema (COPD) than those without asthma. References ‘Consultation Strategy for Services for COPD in England’, Department of Health Gateway number 11943, Copyright Crown, 23, Feb, 2010 ‘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in non-smokers; Review’, Sundeep S Salvi, Peter J. Barnes, The Lancet: (2009) Vol. 374; p733-743 |
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