Abstract

COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the adult population. The major risk factor of COPD is, undoubtedly, cigarette smoking. Based on the evidence that only a minority of cigarette smokers develop clinically significant airway obstruction. In addition to exposure to exogenous factors, host factors appear to play an important role in determining individual susceptibility to the development of disease. However, apart from the contribution by the well-recognized a-1 antitrypsin deficiency, the genetic basis of COPD is poorly understood. The COPD-related risk factors which have impact not only on fetus, but also affect children have been reviewed in this article.