EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

Abstract

The post-World War II years saw a dramatic increase in the prevalence of cigarette smoking, especially among women. It is predicted that COPD will become increasingly more common for the next two decades due to the fact that women who began smoking during this time are the ones who will have the greatest increase in COPD rates. These people are now only becoming elderly and are just now starting to feel the long-term effects of cigarettes on their lungs. On the other hand, some European countries and the US are now seeing a slowdown and eventual fall in the COPD rates. This is due to the decrease in cigarette consumption in the last few decades. (Vespa2020)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening lung disease that is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The prevalence of the disease is increasing as the current adult population grows older. This review will summarize the new information that has become available related to the epidemiology of COPD. The review is divided into sections looking at descriptive epidemiology, time trends, the natural history of COPD, and lay out a general model describing the development and progression of the disease. (PRASAD2020)