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Environmental exposures and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development and exacerbation of COPD are influenced by environmental factors. Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, and environmental tobacco smoking also contributes to its development. Occupational exposure to vapor, dust, gas, and fumes are other important risk factors for COPD. Outdoor air pollution increases COPD-related hospital admissions and is an important factor for disease exacerbation and mortality. Indoor air pollution due to biomass fuel use is also a risk factor for COPD, particularly for women in developing countries. These factors should be studied for public health and prevention of COPD; identification of potential exposure risks will aid our efforts to stop the progression of COPD. The study of environmental factors is important to epidemiologists, toxicologists, and clinicians, and a multidisciplinary approach is essential for finding key factors and understanding mechanistic disease pathways.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Environmental Health Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea

    Woo Jin Kim

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea

    Chang Youl Lee

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  1. Woo Jin Kim
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  2. Chang Youl Lee
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Correspondence to Chang Youl Lee.

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Kim, W.J., Lee, C.Y. Environmental exposures and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mol. Cell. Toxicol. 13, 251–255 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13273-017-0027-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13273-017-0027-4

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