Nicola A. Hanania • Amir Sharafkhaneh
Editors

2011

A Guide to Diagnosis and Clinical Management

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects millions of people across the world. Cigarette smoking and/or exposure to other noxious stimuli results in inflammation and damage to the airways and lung parenchyma, resulting in expiratory flow limitation. COPD is not only a major burden to our patients but is also costly and results in billions of dollars of direct and indirect costs annually.