Atopy and Airways Responsiveness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

THE extent and the duration of cigarette smoking are the overwhelming determinants of the occurrence and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).1 However, only 15 percent of smokers acquire this disorder, and a smaller percentage die of it.Clinical and population-based studies of COPD have determined that the initial value for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) is the single best predictor of survival, providing a convenient correlate with epidemiologic data on smoking and mortality due to COPD.2 , 3 Age is the only other relevant predictor, with increasing age associated with an increased risk of death. Other . . .