Airflow obstruction in never smokers in five Latin American cities: the PLATINO study.

Background: Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is mostly related to tobacco smoking, a variable proportion of COPD occurs in never smokers. We investigated differences between COPD in never smokers compared with smokers and subjects without COPD.

Methods: PLATINO is a cross-sectional population-based study of five Latin American cities.

[Occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, despite having been widely discussed for nearly half a century, is still rarely addressed in Brazil. Various studies, especially those that were population-based, have revealed the relationship between occupational exposure to aerosols and impairment of the airways. This chapter aims to remind physicians of the diagnosis of occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by presenting a succinct review of the literature on the theme, which should be incorporated into the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, in terms of the scope of the diagnostic basis as well as in terms of the questionnaire specific for the disease.