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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions ā€” written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Chronic bronchitis risk factors

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Common risk factors in the development of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, air pollution, genetic factors, increasing age, male gender, allergy, and repeated airway infections.

Risk Factors

Risk Factors

The most potent risk factor for development of chronic bronchitis is smoking. Other risk factors include: environmental exposures, genetic susceptibility, air pollution and respiratory infections.

Cigarette smoking

Occupational exposure

  • Dusts, gases, fumes, or organic antigens can contribute to increased airways responsiveness.[3][2][4]

Genetic factors

  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is the leading genetic risk factor for developing chronic bronchitis.[3][2][5] Some novel risk factors such as, small nucleotide polymorphisms and gene clusters, are assumed to be involved in developing chronic airway diseases.[6]

Developmentally abnormal lungs

  • Frequent childhood infection may cause scarring of lungs, decrease elasticity, thereby increasing risk for COPD.
References

References

  1. ā†‘ PIERCE JA, HOCOTT JB, EBERT RV (1961). “The collagen and elastin content of the lung in emphysema”. Ann. Intern. Med. 55: 210ā€“22. PMIDĀ 13735539.
  2. ā†‘ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Raherison C, Girodet PO (2009). “Epidemiology of COPD”. Eur Respir Rev. 18 (114): 213ā€“21. doi:10.1183/09059180.00003609. PMIDĀ 20956146.
  3. ā†‘ 3.0 3.1 Mehta GR, Mohammed R, Sarfraz S, Khan T, Ahmed K, Villareal M, Martinez D, Iskander J, Mohammed R (2016). “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A guide for the primary care physician”. Dis Mon. 62 (6): 164ā€“87. doi:10.1016/j.disamonth.2016.03.002. PMIDĀ 27087562.
  4. ā†‘ Jeffery PK (2000). “Comparison of the structural and inflammatory features of COPD and asthma. Giles F. Filley Lecture”. Chest. 117 (5 Suppl 1): 251Sā€“60S. PMIDĀ 10843939.
  5. ā†‘ Gadek JE, Fells GA, Crystal RG (1979). “Cigarette smoking induces functional antiprotease deficiency in the lower respiratory tract of humans”. Science. 206 (4424): 1315ā€“6. PMIDĀ 316188.
  6. ā†‘ Han MK, Agusti A, Calverley PM, Celli BR, Criner G, Curtis JL, Fabbri LM, Goldin JG, Jones PW, Macnee W, Make BJ, Rabe KF, Rennard SI, Sciurba FC, Silverman EK, Vestbo J, Washko GR, Wouters EF, Martinez FJ (2010). “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease phenotypes: the future of COPD”. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 182 (5): 598ā€“604. doi:10.1164/rccm.200912-1843CC. PMIDĀ 20522794.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Seyedmahdi Pahlavani, M.D. [2]