According to a recent study, HIV patients had a 34 per cent higher incidence rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They were also diagnosed with the disease about 12 years younger than HIV-negative individuals. The study in St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto and ICES analyzed incidences of COPD among adults 35 years and older who were living with and without HIV between 1996 and 2015 in Ontario. Researchers say that it is important to understand how common other illnesses are to ensure that prevention, screening, and treatment strategies can be developed. CMAJ Open published this study, which also found that the rate of COPD among women living with HIV was 54 per cent higher than that of HIV-negative women.
Women more at risk of ‘man’s disease’ COPD
Once known as a ‘man’s disease’, COPD is a progressive condition that causes acute respiratory distress. Today, more women fall victim to this condition than men. Researchers say that one of the main causes of this condition is smoking. A research in the European Respiratory Journal says that the ‘early onset of smoking may have a greater deleterious impact on lung function among girls because their lungs are smaller than those of males’.
A study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine says that COPD is more likely to be seen in post-menopausal women. Researchers say that ‘it is likely that estrogen has an effect on airway fibrosis. But the exact reason why women are more prone to it is not really known. Researchers say that only more research will reveal the cause. But in the year 2000, for the first time, more women died of COPD than men and the numbers have gone up in recent years.
Reduce your risk of COPD
The first thing that you need to do to reduce your risk of COPD is stop smoking. Not only that, you also need to protect yourself from second-hand and third-hand smoke. Keep yourself healthy with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Include breathing exercises in your routine. You can turn to yoga for this. It has many asanas that boost lung health. Avoid environmental pollution. Wear a protective mask if necessary.