At the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists, we follow new research relating to risk factors about COPD because better understanding of the illness leads to our ability to extend lives. Recently, Sarath Raju, MD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, presented new risk factor research at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Extensive Study
Although COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can strike any person at any income level, her study revealed that two risks greatly intensified the odds of contracting this disease:
- Her work revealed that living in a rural area was a risk factor.
- Likewise, being poor presented a strong risk for contracting COPD.
She stated, “We wanted to identify the prevalence of COPD in urban and rural areas in the U.S. and determine how residence, region, poverty, race and ethnicity, and other factors influence COPD rates.” To explore her premise, she utilized information from several reputable sources: National Health Interview Survey, the U.S. Census, and the National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. The study was huge, encompassing 87,701 participants. They concentrated on patients who were 40 years of age or older. “The study’s main outcome was the prevalence of COPD, defined as self-reported emphysema or chronic bronchitis.”
Parameters of the Study
Dr. Raju’s team explored “community-based and individual-based factors that are potential predictors of COPD.”
Like many such investigations, they looked at patients’ region and the census level poverty of the area. They also considered each patient’s urban or rural residence, as well as the fuel sources of the area. Naturally, they factored in proper individualized characteristics such as age, sex, race and ethnicity. They looked closely at the patients’ smoking years. They wanted to know the household income, and education status. Likewise, home ownership, was an outstanding monitor.
Ultimate Findings
When they looked at the entire group, the prevalence of COPD in the study was 7.2%. However, the number was significantly higher in the small town or rural and poor communities, with a calculation of 11.9 percent. Thus it became obvious that living in the country, especially the Southern United States, in a poverty stricken community, increased the chances of suffering with COPD.. More study is needed in this area, but researchers also found a relationship between biomass fuels and COPD in the South, but not in their overall multivariate model. “Findings suggest regional differences and the need for future disparities research to understand the potential contribution of occupational exposures, fuel sources, and indoor air pollutants to COPD prevalence in poor, rural areas,” the researchers concluded.
Hopes For The Future–Unlocking the COPD Mysteries, One Risk Factor at a Time!
You can read more about this study at American Thoracic Society (ATS) Here at FLASS, the doctors and staff believe that 
medicine cannot become complacent. Research reveals new information about lung disease every day.
It’s like we are slowly and painstakingly unlocking the mysteries of this killer disease, and when doctors in patient practice conscientiously follow the most recent, ongoing research in their field, the beautiful result is better patient care and better quality of life for the patient.
Research slowly and meticulously gives us hope.
The tiniest details of an obscure study might make a huge difference in a patient’s treatment plan and quality of life. If you or someone you love has COPD, we personally invite you to be sure they know about FLASS, where we treat patients like our own family members.