The amount of COPD worldwide is mind boggling. Over 390 million individuals in the world have COPD. COPD accounts for 3.2 million deaths per year, making it the sixth leading cause of death worldwide. Oddly enough, the exact cause of this disease is not specifically known. Current thinking is that COPD arises from a complex interplay between environmental and genetic factors over many decades with genetic factors contributing 20-40% to chronic airflow limitation and smoking behavior along with air pollution contributing approximately 60%. Remember, not all smokers get COPD. The current data would suggest that about 20% of smokers will get COPD depending on smoking intensity and years smoked.
BMI is a measure, of your weight related to your height and is commonly used to determine where you are overweight or underweight. If you have COPD, your BMI has been shown to be a risk factor for the rapid progression of disease. Specifically, a low BMI is associated with an elevated risk of developing COPD, an accelerated reduction in airflow, more frequent exacerbations and increased mortality.
Investigators have developed equations that help to predict the mortality risk in COPD patients and these equations include the measurement of the BMI. The BODE index, which incorporates the measurements of body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea (the conscious perception of uncomfortable breathing) and exercise has become a validated predictor of disease severity and outcomes in COPD patients. More on all of this in next week’s article.
