May 8, 2025 11:58 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1082866
INTRO: Women’ are around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, the umbrella term for chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and bronchitis, even if they have never smoked or smoked much less than their male counterparts, suggests observational research, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
The findings challenge the widely held belief that women’s increased vulnerability to cigarette smoke likely explains this disparity, conclude the researchers.
Smoking is the principal cause of COPD. But despite significant falls in cigarette smoking over the past 50 years, it remains a leading cause of death in the USA, with the prevalence of COPD in women approaching that of men, say the researchers.
Women with COPD tend to have more severe symptoms, and at a younger age, than their male counterparts, prompting the suggestion that the explanation may lie in a heightened susceptibility to the effects of cigarette smoke, explain the researchers... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Women’ are around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, the umbrella term for chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and bronchitis, even if they have never smoked or smoked much less than their male counterparts, suggests observational research, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
The findings challenge the widely held belief that women’s increased vulnerability to cigarette smoke likely explains this disparity, conclude the researchers.
Smoking is the principal cause of COPD. But despite significant falls in cigarette smoking over the past 50 years, it remains a leading cause of death in the USA, with the prevalence of COPD in women approaching that of men, say the researchers.
Women with COPD tend to have more severe symptoms, and at a younger age, than their male counterparts, prompting the suggestion that the explanation may lie in a heightened susceptibility to the effects of cigarette smoke, explain the researchers... (MORE - details, no ads)