Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important global public health challenge because of its high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. While cigarette smoking has long been seen as the principal risk factor for COPD, recent data suggest that the actual population attributable fraction for smoking is highly variable across different populations. The fact that at least a quarter of the COPD cases identified in epidemiological studies are found in individuals who have never smoked further demonstrates the need to understand COPD in non-smokers. A number of putative risk factors other than smoking have been implicated, with some having strong evidence for causality, such as exposures to occupational agents, environmental tobacco smoke, and biomass smoke, although there is yet to be consensus on other novel factors. Our current knowledge on the clinical presentation, prognosis, and management of COPD has been based on studies conducted in either former or current smokers. Almost nothing is known about where there might be specific management features for COPD in non-smokers although this seems unlikely apart from removing any underlying contribution to continuing disease activity.
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Lam, K.B.H., Kurmi, O.P., Ayres, J.G. (2012). COPD in Non-smokers. In: Huang, YC., Ghio, A., Maier, L. (eds) A Clinical Guide to Occupational and Environmental Lung Diseases. Respiratory Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-149-3_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-149-3_14
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