摘要:Summary (Risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). - Many personal and environmental
risk factors are associated to increased prevalence and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD). In this review, we shortly describe most of these risk factors, aiming at defining each factor as
causative or modifier of the natural history of the disease. It is clear that the environmental risk factors do
have an outstanding relevance for both the initiation and the evolution of COPD. This review focuses on the
crucial importance of prevention in order to decrease the public health burden of COPD in the western
countries during the next decad
关键词:Key words: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, risk factors, natural history.