Pharmacological therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multicomponent
disease that is highly preventable and treatable.1 The predominant presenting feature is one of progressive dyspnoea. This occurs as a result of airflow limitation due to a combination of damage to the airways and parenchyma.1 The other important aspects of the disease are the presence of an abnormal inflammatory response and the presence of systemic manifestations.1 Treatment of COPD is effective in multiple patient-centred outcomes,2 and this has been demonstrated in a number of treatment studies over the last decade.