Saturday, 11 Oct 2025
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA
logo logo
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • 🔥
  • Trump
  • VIDEO
  • House
  • White
  • ScienceAlert
  • Trumps
  • Watch
  • man
  • Health
  • Season
Font ResizerAa
American FocusAmerican Focus
Search
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
Follow US
© 2024 americanfocus.online – All Rights Reserved.
American Focus > Blog > Health and Wellness > Women non-smokers still around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, research finds
Health and Wellness

Women non-smokers still around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, research finds

Last updated: May 8, 2025 6:16 pm
Share
Women non-smokers still around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, research finds
SHARE

Women are around 50% more likely than men to develop COPD, the umbrella term for chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and bronchitis, even if they have never smoked or smoked much less than their male counterparts, suggests observational research, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

The findings challenge the widely held belief that women’s increased vulnerability to cigarette smoke likely explains this disparity, conclude the researchers. Smoking is the principal cause of COPD. But despite significant falls in cigarette smoking over the past 50 years, it remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., with the prevalence of COPD in women approaching that of men, say the researchers.

Women with COPD tend to have more severe symptoms, and at a younger age, than their male counterparts, prompting the suggestion that the explanation may lie in a heightened susceptibility to the effects of cigarette smoke, explain the researchers.

To clarify the associations between gender, cigarette smoke, and COPD, and to update previous estimates of the prevalence and impact of COPD, the researchers drew on a large nationally representative US survey of adults from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Respondents (12,638 women and 10,390 men aged at least 40) were asked about their smoking history, what tobacco products they used, and whether they vaped. Women reported lower rates of both current and former cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking, and smokeless tobacco use than men, but similar rates of vaping.

The prevalence of COPD was just under 8% for women and 6.5% for men. Women with COPD were more likely to have never smoked cigarettes than men with COPD (26.5% vs. just over 14%), and less likely to use other tobacco products except for e-cigarettes (26.5% vs. 20%).

See also  Ozempic-Like Drugs Could Treat Chronic Migraines, Trial Finds : ScienceAlert

Women also reported smoking fewer daily cigarettes than men, averaging around 18 compared with around 22, and to have done so for fewer years. And they were less likely than men to have started smoking before the age of 15: 19% vs. 28%.

Yet the prevalence of COPD was higher among women who had ever smoked than it was among men: 16% vs. 11.5%. And among women who had never smoked, the prevalence of COPD was almost twice as high as it was in male non-smokers: just over 3% compared with just over 1.5%.

In further analysis, female gender was associated with a significantly (47%) higher risk of being diagnosed with COPD after accounting for potentially influential factors.

This gender difference in risk persisted, irrespective of smoking history: among those who had never smoked, women were 62% more likely to be diagnosed with COPD, and among those who had ever smoked they were 43% more likely to do so.

The researchers acknowledge that their study relied on self-report rather than objectively measured data. And they lacked potentially important information on hormonal influences, family history, or infectious, occupational, and environmental exposures.

But they nevertheless suggest, “These findings should raise questions about whether differing susceptibility to tobacco smoke is the key factor driving the increased COPD prevalence in women in the U.S..

“If women were more susceptible to the effects of smoking, we would not expect to see a nearly identical risk per 10 pack-year exposure, nor would we expect to see a similarly increased relative risk among those who had never smoked.”

See also  Seventy-Seven Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2024, From a Mysterious 'Anomaly' Near the Great Pyramid of Giza to a Missing Portrait of Henry VIII

And they conclude, “Our findings refine prior estimates of COPD among those without a smoking history and re-emphasize the high burden of COPD in women, underscoring the need for thoughtful efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat their disease.”

More information:
Gender, tobacco and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: analysis of the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, BMJ Open Respiratory Research (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2024-002462

This article was originally published by the British Medical Journal.

TAGGED:COPDDevelopfindsMennonsmokersResearchWomen
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Mickey Rourke’s Biggest Controversies Revisited Mickey Rourke’s Biggest Controversies Revisited
Next Article How to build a living fence How to build a living fence
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Who went home tonight on The Challenge season 40? Details explored

The latest episode of "The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras" shocked fans with the…

September 26, 2024

Lady Gaga Branded an ‘A–hole’ by Animal Rights Activists for ‘Buying’ New Dog

Lady Gaga is facing backlash from animal rights activists after reports surfaced that she purchased…

August 27, 2024

No plans to introduce new earnings guidance, price hikes

Mercedes-Benz (MBG.DE) is standing firm in the face of uncertainty caused by Trump's tariffs. CEO…

May 13, 2025

Travis Kelce’s Dad Claims He’s Received Lifetime Ban From X

Travis Kelce's father, Ed Kelce, recently revealed that he has been banned for life from…

August 25, 2024

NYC woman, 32, lucky to be alive after stranger tries to shoot her from behind, missing her by ‘a centimeter’: cops

32-Year-Old Bronx Woman Narrowly Escapes Gunshot to the Head in Terrifying Daylight Attack A 32-year-old…

May 14, 2025

You Might Also Like

Home invader tried to sexually assault women in Rogers Park, Evanston: CPD – CWB Chicago
Crime

Home invader tried to sexually assault women in Rogers Park, Evanston: CPD – CWB Chicago

October 11, 2025
Conservative group finds teachers are celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death
World News

Conservative group finds teachers are celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death

October 10, 2025
Taylor Swift Brought More Women to Football. Now, the NFL and Advertisers Plan to Make Them Forever Fans
Entertainment

Taylor Swift Brought More Women to Football. Now, the NFL and Advertisers Plan to Make Them Forever Fans

October 10, 2025
President Trump is in ‘exceptional health,’ his doctor says, after visit to Walter Reed
Health and Wellness

President Trump is in ‘exceptional health,’ his doctor says, after visit to Walter Reed

October 10, 2025
logo logo
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


Explore global affairs, political insights, and linguistic origins. Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of world news, politics, and Lifestyle.

Top Categories
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Sports
  • Tech and Science
Usefull Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA

© 2024 americanfocus.online –  All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?