3. COPD and women…….it’s a combination that, until
recent years, has not drawn much attention. But, as
the rise in prevalence in COPD in women increases, it
appears that exploring gender differences in COPD is
a topic worthy of consideration.
4. Historically, there exists a perception that
COPD occurs more predominantly in men than
women. This observation was perhaps initially
supported by statistics such as those in
1959, when the number of men compared women
who died from the disease was five to one.
5. The way COPD was envisioned began to change,
however, as mortality rates in women dying from
the disease between 1968 and 1999 increased by
382 percent, while in men, only 27 percent.
6. As the death toll in women continues to rise, the
year 2000 marked the first year that more women
than men died from COPD. This trend, is expected
to continue and likely to grow, as the number of
women smokers has also in creased in recent years.
8. Female lungs are smaller than men’s, with
narrower airways and less respiratory muscles to
power inhaling and exhaling. As a result, the
concentration of cigarette smoke and other lung
irritants is higher within the lungs airways of
women when inhaled.
9. The smaller structures of the lungs also makes
women more susceptible to bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The affected airways become
thickened and inflamed, which, makes breathing
more difficult and damages tissue over time.
10. Female sex hormones, specifically estrogen, play a role
in worsening the lung damage from smoking in women
as well. Estrogen increases the rate at which nicotine is
broken down in the body, but it does not increase the
rate that the body gets rid of these harmful compounds.
This increased metabolism of nicotine may also explain
why it is much more difficult for women to quit smoking
than men.
12. The hallmark symptoms of COPD:
dyspnea, chronic cough and sputum
production. Current research supports that the
effects COPD has on women are more
detrimental than they are in men suggesting
gender-related differences in COPD symptoms.
13. Reportedly, women are more likely to experience the
following symptomatic variations :
•More severe shortness of breath.
•More anxiety and depression.
•A lower quality of life.
•Increased airway hyper-responsiveness.
•Worse exercise performance.
•Furthermore, women have more frequent
exacerbations than men, and are at greater risk of
malnutrition.
15. Studies suggest physicians are more likely to give a
COPD diagnosis to a male patient rather than a
female, in spite of having similar symptoms. This
implies that there may be a gender bias when it comes
to making a COPD diagnosis.
16. Moreover, women are also less likely to be offered a
spirometry test or referred to a specialist. This is why
spirometry testing is so important for women found to
be at risk for COPD.
18. Roughly 15 % of all people diagnosed with COPD
have never smoked. Notably, out of this group,
nearly 80 % are women, suggesting that women
are more vulnerable to risk factors associated with
COPD that are not related to smoking.
19. Other risk factors known to cause COPD :
•Second hand smoke.
•Biological dusts, such as pollen, animal
dander, insects parts, fungi and bacteria ( health
care, food and textile manufacturing, cleaning
)….occupational hazards.
•Out door pollution.
•In Egypt , specially in rural areas, biomass fuel.
21. Smoking cessation remains the single most, costeffective intervention for any one with
COPD, regardless of gender. But, women who are
successful at quitting show an average increase in FEV1
predicted that is 2.5 times greater the improvement in
men during the first year of quitting.
22. Additionally, research suggests that
women who quit smoking benefit more in
terms of lung function than do men, but
that men show greater symptoms
improvement.
24. Current COPD guidelines have yet to
recommend different treatment options for men
and women. In women with COPD, there are
some treatment considerations to be aware of.
25. •Inhaled Corticosteroids are often used in the
treatment. Women using ICS should be aware that
they decrease bone density and increase osteoporosis
and hip fractures.
•Women were found to have lower body mass index
than men. When body BMI is lower than 21, COPD
mortality increases so it is important to have a proper
nutrition
