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Smoking doesn't explain greater COPD risk for women

On May 8, 2025, Dr. Alexander Steinberg and his team revealed that, in the U.S., women develop COPD at a rate approximately one and a half times that of men, despite smoking less.
The study utilized data collected from the National Health Interview Survey, including responses from more than 23,000 American adults aged 40 and above, comprised of over 12,600 females and close to 10,400 males.
Results showed just under 8% of women and about 6.5% of men had COPD, with women having a 47% higher diagnosis risk after accounting for other factors, and non-smoking women 62% more likely than men to be diagnosed.
Researchers found that susceptibility to smoking measured by status or pack-years did not explain the gender difference and suggested other exposures like female-dominated occupations, home cooking, and smaller airways could contribute to higher female COPD rates.
They concluded their study raises uncertainty about the assumption that increased smoking vulnerability drives the gender gap in COPD, instead prompting questions about alternative causes for women's higher COPD risk.

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