title: [Definition of chronic obstructive disease].
abstract: COPD is a name proposed by two American doctors, M.H. Williams and N.S. Seriff, to describe a disease entity combining chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema, manifested in patients as an obstructive ventilatory disorder with a main symptom of chronic dyspnea. Since the 1970s, COPD has been considered a smokers' disease brought on chiefly by the chronic stimulation of tobacco smoke. In 2001, the GOLD guideline indicated that COPD should not refer to a disease combining chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema, but rather to a disease state characterized by an airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. Nonetheless, problems still remain in defining this disease entity.
authors.affiliation: Kyoto University.
authors.forename: Takateru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States