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Smoking is the major environmental cause of COPD, but genetic factors also influence the risk of developing this disease.

Many of those who are at risk for COPD may not realize it.

deCODEme analyzes your DNA and provides you with a personalized risk assesment for developing COPD.

Knowing your risk of developing COPD can increase your awareness and empower you to take preventive steps to protect your lungs.
deCODEme helps you breathe easy.

COPD is a group of lung diseases

COPD is one of the most common lung disorders in adults. It is one of the leading causes of death in developed nations and affects both men and women. The term COPD refers to a group of lung diseases that cause inflammation and excess mucus in the airways of the lungs (called bronchi and bronchioles), leading to obstructed air flow from the lungs. As the disease progresses, people find it harder to remain active due to shortness of breath.

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main types of COPD diseases

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two main types of COPD diseases. In some cases both diseases may be present at the same time.

In emphysema there is damage to the walls of the air sacs or alveoli in the lungs which results in a smaller total number of air sacs. Fewer air sacs mean that the lungs are not able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream as efficiently, nor get rid of carbon dioxide properly. The damaged lungs lose their elasticity making breathing more difficult.

In chronic bronchitis there is inflammation of the main air passages (bronchi) to the lungs resulting in a long lasting cough. When the airways become swollen they produce more mucus, making breathing more difficult. COPD can also refer to damage caused by chronic asthmatic bronchitis.

Smoking is the major risk factor for COPD, but genetic factors contribute significantly

Smoking is the main environmental risk factor of COPD and accounts for 80% to 90% of COPD-related deaths. However, 10-20% of COPD patients have never smoked and only a fraction of smokers ever develop COPD. Indeed, genetic and other environmental factors than smoking, also influence the risk of developing COPD. Studies have demonstrated that decreased lung function as measured by so-called spirometry tests runs in families. COPD has also been found to cluster within families. These findings show that genetic factors affect both the level of lung function and susceptibility to develop COPD.

deCODEme calculates your genetic risk of developing COPD

Scientists have now identified three genetic variants that confer increased risk of developing COPD. deCODEme analyzes your DNA, identifies these variants and uses them to provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing COPD.

At present, the necessary scientific information to interpret the genetic risk for individuals of other ethnicities is not available. This information will be added as soon as it becomes available and we are assured of its quality.

This content was last reviewed on March 17, 2010.

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