Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease characterized by progressive decline in lung function accompanied by airway narrowing due to inflammation, fibrosis and mucus plugging, associated by parenchymal destruction with loss of elasticity, gas exchange surface area, and airway support with subsequent early airway closure [1]. COPD affects more than 400 million people worldwide. The prevalence rate of COPD is highly variable ranging from 0.2% in Japan to 37% in the United States. According to the 12-site Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study, the average prevalence of COPD is 10.1%, with wide variations [2]. COPD is predicted to become the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth commonest cause of disability in the world by 2030 [3].