Current therapy for COPD

The management of COPD aims at relieving symptoms, improving quality of lif e and preventing further deterioration. Managing COPD will therefore need a broader approach than pure pharmacological treatment, as reflected in the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. The major risk factor of COPD is cigarette smoking, but other risk factors, includin g indoor pollution and occupational exposure might play a significant role. Chronic oxygen therapy prolongs survival in COPD patients with respiratory failure. Long-term studies looking at the influence of pharmacological tre atments on the mortality of COPD are ongoing. Management approaches other t han the avoidance of risk factors should therefore be regarded as symptomat ic. The choice of treatment will mainly depend on the severity of the patie nt's COPD. The severity of the airflow limitation is certainly not the only , and very often not the major factor determining the severity of COPD in a n individual patient. The airflow limitation in COPD is also largely irreve rsible. Therapeutic recommendations and choices should therefore take into account other patient characteristics besides the degree of airflow limitat ion.