Airway pharmacology: treatment options and algorithms to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) as a common, preventable and treatable disease that is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation that is due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities usually caused by significant exposure to noxious particles or gases (1). This review will deal with the pharmacology of the treatable component, acknowledging that there are several highly effective non-pharmacological treatments that have an important place in COPD management (1)