Overview
- France’s health agency concludes that exposure to vapors, gases, particles and fumes at work can causally lead to COPD.
- Anses’ opinion, released ahead of World COPD Day, synthesizes studies showing risks across mining, construction, metallurgy, textiles, chemicals and agriculture.
- COPD remains widely underdiagnosed due to its slow, insidious progression, with patients often seeking care after significant loss of lung function.
- Studies cited by Anses estimate that roughly 15% of COPD cases are of occupational origin, even though smoking remains the primary risk factor.
- To improve recognition and compensation, Anses recommends discussing a single occupational-disease table for COPD; current fragmented tables and CRRMP reviews make decisions slow and difficult, and no regulatory change has yet been enacted.