Adverse childhood experiences and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders classified into three subtypes: asthmatic, bronchitic, and emphysematous. In 2000, an estimated 10 million U.S. adults reported physician-diagnosed COPD, of whom approximately 726,000 were hospitalized. While smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD, multiple factors other than smoking …