TY - JOUR T1 - The “other” COPD JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 659 LP - 661 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00169913 VL - 43 IS - 3 AU - MeiLan K. Han Y1 - 2014/03/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/3/659.abstract N2 - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently a leading cause of death worldwide, but the burden of disease shared by females is particularly heavy. In the USA alone, the number of deaths among females has quadrupled since 1980 and now exceeds male deaths from COPD; hospitalisation of females due to the disease also now surpasses that of males [1]. Concerns have also been raised that females may be more susceptible to the effects of tobacco smoke with respect to development of impaired lung function [2]. Other differences in symptom presentation and greater exacerbation frequency among females have also been noted [3, 4]. However, when viewed globally, the impact of this disease in females is influenced not only by the burden of tobacco use but also the less discussed and less well studied COPD related to biomass smoke exposure. Biomass fuel in particular can be dangerous, as the fine particles derived from solid-fuel combustion can be breathed more deeply into the lungs [5]. It has been demonstrated that the indoor particulate concentrations resulting from biomass fuel combustion can be even higher than the outdoor particulate concentrations seen in even the most polluted cities [5]. Furthermore, the frequency and duration of contact with the polluted air also increases the risk of respiratory impairment. The widespread practice of using … ER -