Risk Factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
A risk factor is something that raises the chances of getting a
health problem. A person can get COPD with or without the ones listed below. The chances
of getting COPD are greater in people who have many.
Things that can raise the risk are:
Age
COPD is more common in people who are over 40 years of age.
This may be due to long term smoking.
Gender
COPD is more common in men. This may be due to the higher rate
of smoking among men.
Smoking
Most people get COPD from smoking tobacco products. People who
are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are also at risk.
Exposure to Pollutants
Chronic exposure to dust, gases, chemicals, and fuels raises
the risk of developing COPD. These include smoke from burning wood, charcoal, and
crop residue.
Genetic Factors
People with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency are at greater risk
of COPD. This is a deficiency of a blood component that runs in families. There are
also other gene changes that have been linked to COPD.
Infections
People who had many lung infections when they were children
are at higher risk. COPD is also more common in people with tuberculosis and HIV.
References
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). American Lung
Association website. Available at:
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
COPD. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
What is COPD? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.