Big question over cause of COPD, lung disease that’s world’s third leading cause of death, finally answered
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often develops after decades of heavy smoking, but almost a third of sufferers have never smoked
- Researchers now believe that people with smaller than expected airways have a much higher risk of developing the condition
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a debilitating lung condition that leaves people struggling for breath, often develops as a result of decades of heavy smoking – but that does not explain why almost a third of all cases occur among people who have never smoked.
The authors of a new study say they now have an answer, and it’s linked to how certain people’s lungs developed earlier on in their lives.
The illness – known as COPD – is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the third leading cause of death worldwide. It causes airflow blockage and breathing problems that limit people’s daily activities.
About one in 10 adults over the age of 40 are thought to have the condition.
It was long thought that smoking and air pollution were the main causes, but COPD has persisted as smoking rates and air pollution have declined in the US and the West more generally, and roughly 30 per cent of people with the disease have never smoked.