Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a treatable condition; however, it remains a very serious global problem. Approximately 600 million people suffer from the disease.
In Europe, the prevalence ranges from 4% to 10% in persons over 40 years of age. However, the condition is largely underdiagnosed and the number of patients is expected to be two-fold and the prevalence has been steadily increasing, particularly among women.
Modern pharmacotherapy can affect numerous parameters, improves the quality of life of patients, alleviates the symptoms, reduces exacerbations and appears to positively affect the disease-related mortality.