Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Oct;2(4):209-14.
doi: 10.4168/aair.2010.2.4.209. Epub 2010 Sep 13.

Overlap Between Asthma and COPD: Where the Two Diseases Converge

So Ri Kim  1 , Yang Keun Rhee
Affiliations

Overlap Between Asthma and COPD: Where the Two Diseases Converge

So Ri Kim et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are traditionally recognized as distinct diseases, with some clearly separate characteristic. Asthma originates in childhood, is associated with allergies and eosinophils, and is best treated by targeting inflammation, whereas COPD occurs in adults who smoke, involves neutrophils, and is best treated with bronchodilators and the removal of risk factors. However, the distinction between the two is not always clear. Patients with severe asthma may present with fixed airway obstruction, and patients with COPD may have hyperresponsiveness and eosinophilia. Recognizing and understanding these overlapping features may offer new insight into the mechanisms and treatment of chronic airway inflammatory diseases.

Keywords: Asthma; COPD; exacerbation; overlap; remodeling.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no financial or other issues that might lead to conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Barnes PJ. Mechanisms and resistance in glucocorticoid control of inflammation. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010;120:76–85. - PubMed
    1. Boulet LP, Turcotte H, Hudon C, Carrier G, Maltais F. Clinical, physiological and radiological features of asthma with incomplete reversibility of airflow obstruction compared with those of COPD. Can Respir J. 1998;5:270–277. - PubMed
    1. Fabbri LM, Romagnoli M, Corbetta L, Casoni G, Busljetic K, Turato G, Ligabue G, Ciaccia A, Saetta M, Papi A. Differences in airway inflammation in patients with fixed airflow obstruction due to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003;167:418–424. - PubMed
    1. Jeffery PK. Remodeling and inflammation of bronchi in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2004;1:176–183. - PubMed
    1. Guerra S. Overlap of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2005;11:7–13. - PubMed