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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for COPD include:
- Exposure to tobacco smoke. The most significant risk factor for COPD is long-term cigarette smoking. The more years you smoke and the more packs you smoke, the greater your risk. Symptoms of COPD usually appear about 10 years after you start smoking. Pipe smokers, cigar smokers and people exposed to large amounts of secondhand smoke also are at risk.
- Occupational exposure to dusts and chemicals. Long-term exposure to chemical fumes, vapors and dusts can irritate and inflame your lungs.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This condition is a severe form of acid reflux — the backflow of acid and other stomach contents into your esophagus. GERD can make COPD worse and may even cause it in some people.
- Age. COPD develops slowly over years, so most people are at least 40 years old when symptoms begin.
- Genetics. A rare genetic disorder known as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is the source of a few cases of COPD. Researchers suspect that other genetic factors may also make certain smokers more susceptible to the disease.
References
- Standards for the diagnosis and management of patients with COPD. American Thoracic Society. http://www.thoracic.org/sections/copd/resources/copddoc.pdf. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Gigliotti F, et al. Breathing retraining and exercise conditioning in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A physiological approach. Respiratory Medicine. 2003;97:197.
- What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/what-is-copd/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Pocket guide to COPD diagnosis, management and prevention. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. http://www.goldcopd.com/Guidelineitem.asp?l1=2&l2=1&intId=1116. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Sutherland ER, et al. Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2004;350:2589.
- COPD Fact Sheet. American Lung Association. COPD Fact Sheet.http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.252866/k.A435/COPD_Fact_Sheet.htm. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
- Tiep BL, et al. Long-term supplemental oxygen therapy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
