Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become an important public health problem due to its high prevalence, high mortality rate, and high socioeconomic burden. COPD is currently the 4th leading cause of death worldwide, and the World Bank/WHO announced that COPD will be the 5th leading economic burden of disease in the world by 2020. In China, COPD is also an important chronic respiratory disease that seriously endangers people’s health. In a recent survey of 20,245 adults in seven regions of China, the prevalence of COPD accounted for 8.2% of the population over 40 years of age, which is an alarmingly high prevalence. In order to raise the attention of society, government and patients to COPD, improve the diagnosis and treatment of COPD, and reduce the prevalence and death rate of COPD, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and WHO jointly published the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GIOPD) in April 2001, following the development of COPD diagnosis and treatment guidelines in Europe and the United States. The publication of GOLD has played a great role in promoting the prevention and treatment of COPD in various countries. China also formulated the “COPD Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines” (draft) in 1997 and the “COPD Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines” in 2002 with reference to GOLD. Their development has played a good role in focusing the attention of relevant health organizations and government departments on the prevention and treatment of this disease, improving the diagnosis and treatment of COPD by medical personnel, and promoting research on COPD so as to reduce its prevalence and death rate in China. This is the latest revision of the 2002 COPD guidelines. COPD is a preventable and treatable disease characterized by airflow limitation, which is not completely reversible, progressive, and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to harmful gases or particles, such as cigarette smoke, etc. COPD primarily involves the lungs, but can also cause systemic (or extrapulmonary) adverse effects. Pulmonary function tests are important in determining airflow limitation. After inhalation of bronchodilators, the first second force expiratory volume (FEV1)/exertional spirometry (FVC) 2-4 mm of fine bronchi), inflammatory cells infiltrate the superficial epithelium, and mucus secretion is increased by enlarged mucus-secreting glands and increased cupped cells. In the peripheral airways (inner diameter