European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

COPD is a leading contributor of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Smoking and inhaling harmful chemicals and particles from indoor and outdoor air pollution are the main environmental exposures that cause COPD. Non-smoking related COPD affects more people in developing countries than it does in developed countries. This study was initiated primarily to assess the response of standard treatment in COPD among smokers and non-smokers. The proportion of COPD patients whose condition was not caused by tobacco smoking was also assessed. Non-smoking related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a neglected entity.
Material and Methods: This was an observational, prospective, case-control study. All patients were diagnosed for COPD, aged 18 years or above, were included in this study. Patients were divided into case (non-smoker COPD) and control (smoker COPD). Standard treatment for COPD would be given to both groups according to latest GOLD guidelines for COPD. Treatment response was evaluated in both groups.
Results and Discussion: In this study 49.1% patients were smokers while 50.9% patients were non-smokers, which is in accordance with the worldwide trend of half of the patients of COPD being due to risk factors other than smoking. It was found that smoking COPD occurs at an older age. There was no significant difference in pulmonary function test values, 6-minute walk distance (6MWT), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score and Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) grading between the two groups.
Among serological tests it was found that Total Leucocyte Count (TLC), Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) were statistically higher in the smoker COPD group than the non-smoker group.