Inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: implications for new treatment strategies.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a treatable and preventable disease but current predictions are that it will continue to rise as an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. COPD is a complex inflammatory disease with both airway and parenchymal lung injury. Currently there is growing recognition that the inflammatory response extends beyond the lung, with evidence of systemic inflammation, which may account for the multi-organ effects associated with COPD.