Clinical Nutrition

Lesson 22: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Causes

• Smoking is the single most important factor. Passive smokers too are affected.
• Constant exposure to dust, irritants and pollutants could lead to respiratory disease.
• Cooking with coal, oil fumes generated when deep frying could cause COPD.
• Genetic factors which lead to the deficiency of alpha1 anti trypsin could cause COPD.