Occupational and environmental medicine
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Comparative Study
Risk factors for chronic mucus hypersecretion in individuals with and without COPD: influence of smoking and job exposure on CMH.
Chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) is highly prevalent in smokers and associated with an accelerated lung function decline and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several risk factors contribute to CMH and to COPD. It is, however, unknown if risk factors for CMH are similar in persons with and without COPD. ⋯ A higher risk for CMH was associated with higher pack-years smoking regardless of COPD status. However, a higher risk for CMH was associated with high occupational exposure to gases & fumes in individuals without COPD only.