Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world. COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the world3, and further increases in the prevalence and mortality of the disease can be predicted in the coming decades. A unified international effort is required to reverse these trends.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) is conducted in collaboration with the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its goals are to increase awareness of COPD and decrease morbidity and mortality from this disease. GOLD aims to improve prevention and management of COPD through a concerted worldwide effort of people involved in all facets of health care and health care policy, and to encourage a renewed research interest in this extremely prevalent disease.

The GOLD Workshop Report, Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD, presents a COPD management plan with four components: (1) Assess and Monitor Disease; (2) Reduce Risk Factors; (3) Manage Stable COPD; (4) Manage Exacerbations. The Workshop Report is based on the best-validated current concepts of COPD pathogenesis and the available evidence on the most appropriate management and prevention strategies. It has been developed by individuals with expertise in COPD research and patient care and extensively reviewed by many experts and scientific societies. Prior to its release for publication, the Workshop Report was reviewed by the NHLBI and the WHO. This Executive Summary provides key information about COPD; the full Workshop Report provides more details.

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