Respirology, Volume 17, Issue 3, pages 395–401, April 2012
Air pollution and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
FANNY W.S. KO*, DAVID S.C. HUI
Improving ambient air pollution and decreasing indoor biomass combustion exposure by improving home ventilation are effective measures that may substantially improve the health of the general public.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important disease worldwide in both high-income and low-income countries. By the year 2020, it has been estimated that COPD will rank fifth among the conditions with a high burden to society and third among the most important causes of death for both genders worldwide.4 The economic burden of COPD on the society is enormous. It is thus important to understand the environmental factors that are contributing to this great burden. Air pollution is closely related to both the development and exacerbation of COPD. In this review, we will discuss the impact of both outdoor and indoor air pollution on the development and exacerbation of symptoms of COPD.
