Risk Factors for COPD

COPD The author of this report has been asked to do a brief report on the disease that has come to be known as COPD. COPD is short for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. As part of this report, there will be a brief description of the factors related to COPD and how they influence the development and progression of the disease as defined by the guidelines in the source used. That source is from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

The publication being used is their latest version of their global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of the disease. The edition in question was published in April 2015. Within the GOLD guidelines, there is a specific section early in the document that specifically pertains to the development and progression of the disease and that section appears on the fourth and fifth page of the document.

When it comes to the factors that influence the development and progression of COPD, the first one to take into account would be the genetic profile of the person that has or could develop COPD. Indeed, there is a known genetic risk factor when it comes to gene composition and it relates to a hereditary deficiency of the alpha-1 antitrypsin. This substance is a major circulating inhibitor of serine proteases.

Beyond that, there has been a "significant familial risk" of airflow limitations in the smoking siblings of patients with severe cases of COPD. As such, this has suggested that there is a confluence of genetic and environmental factors when it comes to who develops COPD and who does not (GOLD, 2015). Another factor to consider when it comes to COPD is the age and gender of the people involved.

When it comes to comparing men and women, men were apparently more likely to suffer from COPD than women in comparable demographics, at least in the past. However, there has since been a convergence and now it seems to be equally present in both gender groups. A perceived reason for this is the use patterns of tobacco in the two groups. A third factor relating to who develops COPD and why is the general growth and development of the lungs in a given patient.

If there is an inhibition of lung growth during gestation, birth and so forth, this will tend to portend COPD risks down the road. Further, exposure to particles seems to be a very major aggravating factor when it comes to COPD. Just one example would be exposure to smokers in general and this would include both tobacco and marijuana. However, exposure to chemicals in occupational settings as well as any exposure to wood, animal dung and crop residues would also tend to cause problems (GOLD, 2015).

The section under review right now concludes with a few other factors that may be surprising to some and one of those is socioeconomic status. The point given that there is a strong inverse correlation between socioeconomic link between those that develop COPD and the socioeconomic status they enjoy. To put it more simply, people in poverty are more likely to develop COPD than those that are middle class of affluent. Finally, there are the people that are persistently suffering from asthma and other bronchial.