ABSTRACT
The natural history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is character-
ized by slowly progressive limitation of expiratory airflow. This can be well assessed
by simple spirometry and only two parameters, the FEV1 and the FVC, need to be
measured to obtain almost all the useful information available. Variations in natural
history are probably related to differences in the dose and influence of various risk
factors.
