Treatment, diagnostics, and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) poses a significant burden on women’s health. Insufficient attention is paid to this problem in scientific research and in clinical practice, although more and more information surfaces about the gender-associated differences in the treatment, diagnostics, and management of COPD.The aim of the review is to consider the most significant data currently available on the clinical signs, course, and outcomes of COPD in women and propose ways to achieve the best results in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Conclusion. There are biological and cultural differences between the clinical manifestations, course and outcome of COPD in men and women, and these differences impact the clinical practice. It is advisable to apply individualized diagnostic, organizational, and pharmacotherapeutic approaches to COPD in women, based on the knowledge of female-specific variances in the symptoms of the disease and the health status.