SUPPLEMENT TO JAPI • F E B R U A R Y 2012 • VOL. 60
Risk Factors and Pathophysiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Bill B Brashier, Rahul Kodgule
COPD is a progressive inflammatory disease of the lung characterized by chronic bronchitis, airway thickening and emphysema. Being the third largest cause of worldwide mortality and showing a steeply rising trend in global prevalence, COPD is likely to emerge as the most important disease for the physicians to manage. Understanding the basic pathophysiology of COPD will be of great assistance in diagnosing and treating the disease in circumstances where new mechanisms, diagnostic tests and drug therapies are emerging at a rapid pace. The pathophysiology of the disease is complicated and largely undiscovered. However, with the advent of new technology and widespread advances in research the thick cloud cover over the pathophysiology of COPD is rapidly unveiling.
