[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Archivos de Bronconeumología in 2010]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continues to cause concern among health professionals treating respiratory diseases worldwide. The reasons for the increasing tendency in prevalence, morbidity and mortality rates are under constant investigation. Areas of research include identification of new phenotypes, predisposing factors, and physiopathological and epidemiological features that are still not completely known, as well as the systemic behavior of this disease and its relationship with other, associated pathological states. New and encouraging alternative treatments are also being investigated. This unceasing search for scientific knowledge is reflected in the number of studies published in each of the sections of Archivos de Bronconeumología throughout 2010, which deal with most of the pressing issues concerning this disease and which will be summarized in the present article. More than 60% of the contents of the journal's supplements were related to COPD. A monographic issue, produced for training purposes, was published and consisted of three units: the first was entitled "The thousand and one faces of COPD", the second "COPD: from etiopathogenesis to treatment" and the third "COPD: how can patient care be improved?". The authors of these units provide an in-depth and up-to-date analysis of topics relating COPD to various pathological states and include an analysis of the disease in two population groups that have aroused recent interest, namely, women and non-smokers. The third unit of the monograph deals exclusively with the patient.