Cigarette Smoke Chokes Self-Healing Capacity of Lungs

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung condition characterized by cough, bronchitis and breathing difficulties. In Germany, COPD affects around 10%-12% of the adults over 40 years of age. Experts estimate the national economic costs of the disease at almost six billion euros annually. Smoke from cigarettes blocks self-healing processes in the lungs and consequently can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, partner in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), and their international colleagues have reported the findings.