ATS Breathe Easy
ATS Breathe Easy
American Thoracic Society
ATS Breathe Easy - Understanding Non-Smoking Causes of COPD
21 minutes Posted Nov 25, 2025 at 5:00 am.
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Show notes

 Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD in the United States and many other countries. However, it is important to recall that there are other causes of COPD, from birth experiences to environmental exposures. COPD expert Meilan K. Han MD, MS, University of Michigan Health, discusses non-smoking causes of COPD, what patients can do to manage their symptoms, and how clinicians and communities can help. Air Health Our Health podcast creator Erika Moseson, MD, MA, of Legacy Health in Oregon hosts.

Patient resources:
- ATS COPD resources: https://site.thoracic.org/patient-resources/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd
- GOLD COPD resources: https://goldcopd.org/patients-advocacy-groups/
- American Lung Association COPD resources: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/resource-library 
- UpToDate COPD resources: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/stable-copd-overview-of-management