Higher Rates of Lung Disease - Smoking Not Entirely to Blame

A recent study led by a research group at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland has found that the prevalence of lung disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), is steadily increasing. In addition, the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease initiative has found that stages of the disease are now more advanced than previously reported. Interestingly enough, however, these studies have found that smoking is not the only factor accounting for the higher rates of COPD.

The research group at Oregon Health and Science University observed the prevalence of COPD and its risk factors in adults at least 40 years of age and who were living in 12 cities across 5 continents. After interviewing more than 9,000 subjects and analyzing their test results, it was found that Stage II COPD affected 11.8 percent of men and 8.5 percent of women, with COPD II to IV also seeing rates over 10 percent. These numbers increased with age, but varied widely by location - Hannover, Germany averaged 5.9 percent; Cape Town, South Africa, 19.1 percent.

Although these high figures have shown how COPD has been underdiagnosed and undertreated, these studies have also found that contrary to popular belief, smoking is not the only risk factor to blame for these high numbers of lung disease. In fact, the primary risk factors for lung disease also include occupational exposure to gases, dust, vapors, and fumes; exposure to outdoor air pollutants; genetics; by the burning of organic matter for heating and cooking; and perhaps most fascinating of all - indoor air pollution.

Nonetheless, these factors are not surprising to scientists and government health care agencies who have been purporting the dangers of poor indoor air quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted "indoor air pollution as the 8th most important risk factor and responsible for 2.7 percent of the global burden of disease." Some may point out that these figures are disproportionate, as they better represent underdeveloped countries such as Africa or Southeast Asia, but the WHO has also found that 56 percent of all COPD deaths due to indoor air pollution occurs in the Western Pacific region.

While it is noted that smoking and lung disease are undoubtedly intertwined, recent studies have shown that perhaps smoking alone does not account for the greater numbers and increased severity of lung disease.