COPD, cancer risk and obesity

Passive smoking and COPD risk

Respirology doi:10.111/ j.1440-1843.2012.02129

Childhood exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increases the risk of adult women developing COPD and adult men suffering respiratory symptoms, according to a Norwegian study.

Of 433 COPD patients and 325 controls examined, 63 per cent and 58 per cent respectively reported ETS. In women, after adjusting for potential confounders, childhood ETS (OR 1.9), occupational exposure to dust or gas (OR 1.9) and a family history of COPD (OR 3.7) increased the risk of developing COPD as adults. Childhood ETS was not significantly associated with any respiratory symptom in women, although non-significant trends emerged.