title: The chronic bronchitis phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: features and implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that is projected to rank fifth worldwide in terms of disease burden and third in terms of mortality. Chronic bronchitis is associated with multiple clinical consequences, including hastening lung function decline, increasing risk of exacerbations, reducing health-related quality of life, and possibly raising all-cause mortality. Recent data suggest greater elucidation on the risk factors, radiologic characteristics, and treatment regimens. Our goal was to review the literature on chronic bronchitis that has been published in the past few years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A growing body of literature that more carefully describes environmental risk factors, epidemiology, and genetics associated with chronic bronchitis. In addition, as computed tomography technology continues to improve, the radiologic phenotype associated with chronic bronchitis is better understood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With these new data, the clinician can recognize the newly described risk factors and the associated phenotype for chronic bronchitis and entertain new treatment options for this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gerard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Criner
mesh_terms: D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors