Risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women

Posted by Marry Grover on January 19th, 2023

For those wondering what is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it is a health condition that affects your lungs. The illness is a long-term problem that makes it hard for the patient to inhale air. It can develop by smoking, breathing in chemically-rich air, inhaling pollutants, and working in mines. Its symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic cough, and wheezing. According to the risk factors, the prevalence of COPD is higher in men than women. However, the data shows that many women are diagnosed with COPD and have higher mortality rates. To learn more about the risk factors related to COPD in women, read the following sections!

Is COPD more common in women than men?

COPD is caused because of breathing in polluted air. According to the data provided by WHO, 25% of the deaths caused by COPD happen in low and middle income-related countries. They are associated with exposure to household air pollution. The data also shows that women exposed to the risk of breathing in high levels of indoor smoke are two times more likely to develop COPD than women who use cleaner fuels and technologies. So, while the diagnosis and treatment in both men and women with COPD are the same, the risk factors for the sexes are different.

What risk factors make women likely to develop COPD?

Women are likely to develop COPD because of the following risk factors:

• Tobacco: 

Consuming tobacco increases the risk of developing COPD. And, since the 1950s, we have noticed a rise in the number of women smokers. It is because, during this time, it became more socially acceptable for females to smoke. Also, the marketing campaigns around this time associated smoking with being bolder, independent, and stylish, which increased smoking appeal. 

• Comorbidities: 

COPD is associated with many accompanying comorbidities that worsen health. In a study that had a total number of 70,274 subjects, 58.25% of which were women, 15 comorbidities were identified. Women were revealed to have at least one or more comorbidity and had three times more health conditions than their male counterparts. 

• Occupational exposure:

People who work in hazardous situations and breathe in dust, gases, and secondhand smoke are likely targets of COPD. According to the available data, some 3 billion people use biomass for cooking and lighting up their homes. In developing countries like India, women are more exposed to these gases than men as they spend more time in the kitchen preparing meals. This increases their chances of developing the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• Biological differences:

Men and women have different biological structures that play a role in suffering from COPD. Experts suggest that men have bigger lungs than women. Also, females have relatively smaller airways than males as per the respective lung volumes. As a result, they have increased levels of tobacco smoke concentrated per unit of small airway surface.

So, these are a few risk factors that contribute to the increased chances of women developing COPD.