Experts from the US take a look at the challenges that come with defining, assessing and ultimately preventing the third leading cause of death worldwide.
In what is the first paper in a two-part Lancet series the review notes that COPD is a heterogeneous collection of diseases with differing causes, pathogenic mechanisms, and physiological effects.
“Advances in the understanding of the natural history of COPD and the development of strategies to assess COPD in its early stages make prevention a reasonable, if ambitious, goal,” they say.
To access the review click here.