Study uncovers link between cough, phlegm and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

People who develop a chronic cough run a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Smoking is the main cause of the condition, which involves a progressive destruction of lung tissue. Researchers in Italy have been looking at the occurrence of COPD among a group of young adults followed up for ten years.

The 5,002 participants, drawn from several different countries and aged 20-44, all had normal lung function at the start of the study. Over the ten years, 2.8 per cent of them went on to develop COPD. Among the 40-44 age group, 4.8 per cent developed COPD. Those who developed chronic cough and phlegm had four times the risk of COPD. This suggests that cough and phlegm are early signs of airway obstruction that will lead to COPD. Around 77 percent of those who developed COPD were smokers, compared to 55 percent of the whole group. The findings show that COPD is a major health problem among young adults and is not confined to the older age groups. Smokers cough should be regarded as a danger sign and, of course, smoking cessation is the best way forward for anyone wanting to reduce COPD risk.

Source
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine January 2007