Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Prevention

Prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requires attention to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see Prevention with micronutrients.
  • Consumption of stimulants
    • Tobacco (smoking, passive smoking) – The most important risk factor for developing COPD is smoking. Chinese hookah smoking is also associated with a significant increase in COPD risk, despite the fact that tobacco smoke is filtered by water.However, according to the CanCOLD study (5176 individuals aged 40 years and older; population-based, prospective Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease Study (CanCOLD study)), 29% of COPD patients are nonsmokers.Passive smoking as a child (parents smoke)
  • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).
  • Android body fat distribution, that is, abdominal/visceral, truncal, central body fat (apple type) – high waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (THQ; waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) is presentWhen measuring waist circumference according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2005) guideline, the following standard values apply:
    • Men < 94 cm
    • Women < 80 cm

    The German Obesity Society published somewhat more moderate figures for waist circumference in 2006: < 102 cm for men and < 88 cm for women.

Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).

  • Occupational dusts – quartz-containing dusts, cotton dusts, grain dusts, welding fumes, mineral fibers, irritant gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide or chlorine gas.
  • Exposure to biogenic heating materials (coal, wood, etc. for at least ten years).
  • Wood fire
  • Indoor pollution (cooking and heating by burning natural materials).
  • Air pollutants: particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide.
  • Ship emissions (heavy fuel oil; diesel)

Prevention factors (protective factors)

  • Genetic factors:
    • Genetic risk reduction depending on gene polymorphisms:
      • Genes/SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism):
        • Gene: AQP5
        • SNP: rs3736309 in gene AQP5
          • Allele constellation: AG (0.44-fold).
          • Allele constellation: GG (0.44-fold)
  • Nutrition
    • Fruits and vegetables: each additional daily serving of fruits or vegetables reduces the risk of developing COPD by 4-8% in former and current smokers