ERS Study: COPD is four times more frequent with air pollution than with passive smoking

The WHO (2004) report is indisputable: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will become the third leading cause of death in the world by 2030. A list of achievements that should increase over the next ten years. According to the recently published study by the European Respiratory Society, COPD is four times more frequent with air pollution than with passive smoking.

To reach this conclusion, the ERS researchers relied on the UK Biobank with a cohort of no fewer than 303,887 individuals aged from 40 to 69 years. The objective was to assess whether air pollution is associated with changes in lung function, COPD* and to explore potential vulnerability factors. In this large-scale study, air pollution was associated with decreased lung function through accelerated lung aging and an increase in the prevalence of COPD.

*Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive degeneration of lung tissue and partially reversible obstruction of the airways. It includes chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. (https://cnfs.ca/pathologies/)

Consult the results of the study on the ERS website: https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/1/1802140