From the Journals

Not All COPD Is Smoking-Related

Study compares symptoms, spirometry, and inflammatory markers with smoking-related disease.

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A population-based study involving 690 participants aged 50 to 75 reveals that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in never-smokers presents unique clinical characteristics and inflammatory profiles compared to smoking-related COPD. Never-smokers with COPD reported more symptoms like wheeze and productive cough, with a mean age of 60 years and a notable percentage identifying as female. The findings suggest that never-smokers with COPD may represent a distinct clinical phenotype that necessitates different diagnostic and treatment approaches, as highlighted by lead author Pernilla Sönnerfors of Karolinska Institutet.

Original Source(s)

Not All COPD Is Smoking-Related

  • by Jess Allerton

  • March 10, 2026

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