Women may face a significantly higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than men, even with little or no history of smoking, according to new observational research published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
The study found that women are about 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, a group of chronic lung conditions that causes difficulty in breathing.
The findings suggest that biological or environmental factors beyond smoking may play a key role in women’s vulnerability to respiratory disease.
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Researchers looked at smoking habits, tobacco usage and COPD diagnoses among over 23,000 adults aged 40 and above. Women reported smoking less than men. They smoked fewer cigarettes per day (18 vs. 22), were less likely to have started smoking before age 15 (19% vs. 28%), and were also less likely to have used other tobacco products like cigars or smokeless tobacco.
Yet the prevalence of COPD was higher among women who had ever smoked than it was among men: 16% vs. 11.5%. And among women who had never smoked, the prevalence of COPD was almost twice as high as it was in male non-smokers: just over 3% compared with just over 1.5%.
The researchers concluded that among those who had never smoked, women were 62% more likely to be diagnosed with COPD, and among those who had ever smoked, they were 43% more likely to do so.
“These findings should raise questions about whether differing susceptibility to tobacco smoke is the key factor driving the increased COPD prevalence in women in the US,” the researchers said.
