Smoking is the leading risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
worldwide, yet many people who never smoke develop COPD. We perform a longitudinal …

Background The role of environmental exposures in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) remains inconclusive. We examined the association between environmental …

Introduction Population-based epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to ambient
air pollutants increases hospitalisations and mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary …

Background: Risk factor identification is a proven strategy in advancing treatments and
preventive therapy for many chronic conditions. Quantifying the impact of those risk factors …

Background The effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on the development of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still controversial, and the role of the interactions …

Study objectives Respiratory public health interventions depend on accurate identification of
the target group, yet this may vary depending on the diagnostic criteria used. We therefore …

Rationale Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of
death in the United States. Studies have primarily assessed the relationship between …

Background Cigarette smoking is the strongest risk factor for COPD. Smoking burden is
frequently measured in pack-years, but the relative contribution of cigarettes smoked per day …

Objectives Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity
and mortality worldwide. Exposure to occupational hazards is an important preventable risk …

Awareness, diagnosis and treatment of COPD, compared to other major causes of death,
remains far too low. This article describes the protocol objectives, design and the …