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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Nature Reviews Disease Primers volume 1, Article number: 15076 (2015) Cite this article

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Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease with high global morbidity and mortality. COPD is characterized by poorly reversible airway obstruction, which is confirmed by spirometry, and includes obstruction of the small airways (chronic obstructive bronchiolitis) and emphysema, which lead to air trapping and shortness of breath in response to physical exertion. The most common risk factor for the development of COPD is cigarette smoking, but other environmental factors, such as exposure to indoor air pollutants — especially in developing countries — might influence COPD risk. Not all smokers develop COPD and the reasons for disease susceptibility in these individuals have not been fully elucidated. Although the mechanisms underlying COPD remain poorly understood, the disease is associated with chronic inflammation that is usually corticosteroid resistant. In addition, COPD involves accelerated ageing of the lungs and an abnormal repair mechanism that might be driven by oxidative stress. Acute exacerbations, which are mainly triggered by viral or bacterial infections, are important as they are linked to a poor prognosis. The mainstay of the management of stable disease is the use of inhaled long-acting bronchodilators, whereas corticosteroids are beneficial primarily in patients who have coexisting features of asthma, such as eosinophilic inflammation and more reversibility of airway obstruction. Apart from smoking cessation, no treatments reduce disease progression. More research is needed to better understand disease mechanisms and to develop new treatments that reduce disease activity and progression.

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Figure 1: Airway obstruction in COPD.
Figure 2: Disease progression in COPD.
Figure 3: Poverty is a risk factor for COPD.
Figure 4: Defective phagocytosis in COPD.
Figure 5: Accelerated ageing in COPD.
Figure 6: Increased oxidative stress in COPD.
Figure 7: Air trapping in COPD.
Figure 8: Mechanisms and effects of COPD exacerbations.
Figure 9: Clinical and radiological characteristics of the classic phenotypes of patients with COPD.
Figure 10: Algorithm for the diagnosis, staging and management programme for COPD.
Figure 11: Effects of bronchodilators in COPD.
Figure 12: Downward spiral of health-related quality of life in COPD.
Figure 13: Potential targets for novel COPD therapy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Allinson from Imperial College, London, UK, for the design of Figure 8.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, Dovehouse Street, London, SW3 6LY, UK

    Peter J. Barnes & Jadwiga A. Wedzicha

  2. Division of Medical Genetics and Population Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK

    Peter G. J. Burney

  3. Channing Division of Network Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Edwin K. Silverman

  4. Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Bartolome R. Celli

  5. Centre of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Manchester Academic Science Centre, University Hospital South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

    Jørgen Vestbo

  6. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Emiel F. M. Wouters

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Contributions

Introduction (P.J.B.); Epidemiology (P.G.J.B.); Mechanisms/pathophysiology (E.K.S. and P.J.B.); Diagnosis, screening and prevention (B.R.C.); Management (J.A.W. and J.V.); Quality of life (E.F.M.W.); Outlook (P.J.B.); Overview of Primer (P.J.B.).

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Correspondence to Peter J. Barnes.

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Competing interests

P.J.B. has served on scientific advisory boards of AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Daiichi Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline, Glenmark, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, Takeda, Pfizer, Prosonix, RespiVert, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Teva and UCB, and has received research funding from Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Daiichi Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Takeda, Pfizer and Sun Pharmaceuticals. He is also a cofounder of RespiVert (now part of Johnson & Johnson), which has discovered novel inhaled anti-inflammatory treatments for asthma and COPD. P.G.J.B. has received grants from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, Public Health England and the British Lung Foundation, and serves on an advisory board for Novartis. B.R.C. has received grants to the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division of the Brigham and Women's Hospital to complete research studies in COPD from AstraZeneca. He has also received compensation for advisory board participation and/or consultancy from GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Almirall, AstraZeneca, MedImmune, Takeda and Novartis. He does not have shares or interest in any company, nor does any member of his family. He has not received or had any relationship with the tobacco industry and has not participated in promotional talks. E.K.S. has received, in the past 3 years, honoraria and consulting fees from Merck and grant support and consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline. J.V. has received funding for advising and presenting from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Takeda and Teva, and has received research funding from GlaxoSmithKline. J.A.W. has received research grant funding from Novartis, Takeda, Johnson & Johnson, Vifor Pharma and GlaxoSmithKline. She has received honoraria for lectures and/or advisory boards before January 2015 from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Almirall, Pfizer, Chiesi and RespiVert. E.F.M.W. declares no competing interests.

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Barnes, P., Burney, P., Silverman, E. et al. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers 1, 15076 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2015.76

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