Predictors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women who never smoked: A cohort study

What is it about?

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), defined as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, is increasing more rapidly in women than in men, with smoking being the most reliable predictor for developing the disease later in life. Given that women make up the majority of patients with COPD who have never smoked, there is a growing need to identify factors other than smoking that can predict COPD in women. Using data from an Australian longitudinal study of women, we identified a number of reliable predictors for developing COPD later in life in women who had never smoked. These included breathing difficulties, asthma, allergies, hayfever and sinusitis. Our results showed that the more often a woman had one of these factors at 45 years of age, the more likely she was to develop COPD later in life. We argue that consideration should be given to including lung function testing in primary health settings for women over 45 years of age with a history of these symptoms.

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