Definition and Nomenclature of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Time for Its Revision

Attempts to define concepts and things date back to the time of Aristotle, around 2,400 years ago, when he proposed that a definition should state the essential nature or being of something (1). However, this abstract concept (2–4) may not translate well to medical practice, where precise definitions are needed to communicate to colleagues and patients and to conduct epidemiological, clinical, translational, and discovery research in the presence of new evidence brought about by scientific progress. Since Aristotle’s initial discussions, the last 24 centuries have witnessed the appearance and evolution of definitions of many things that surround us, including diseases (5). In medicine, accurate and precise definitions (nosology) and classification of diseases (taxonomy) allow thinking, speaking, and writing about observable phenomena in an understandable and unified way.