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A 45-year-old man presented with a complaint of an increasin…

A 45-year-old man presented with a complaint of an increasingly persistent cough that produced moderately thick, white mucus. The patient stated that the cough had been present for several years and was particularly severe in the morning on awakening. His wife was more bothered by the cough than he was and had sent him to the physician so that he might be convinced to stop smoking. On questioning, the patient, who was about 30 lb overweight and had been smoking two packs of cigarettes per day for 20 years, had no other ailments.  Laboratory blood analysis revealed elevated red blood cell counts but normal white blood cell counts, and low blood oxygen but elevated CO2 levels. For this question, refer to the case study and framework, provided above, as needed.  What structural or biochemical changes in this patient might explain the observed abnormalities that you identified for this patient?

A 45-year-old man presented with a complaint of an increasin…

A 45-year-old man presented with a complaint of an increasingly persistent cough that produced moderately thick, white mucus. The patient stated that the cough had been present for several years and was particularly severe in the morning on awakening. His wife was more bothered by the cough than he was and had sent him to the physician so that he might be convinced to stop smoking. On questioning, the patient, who was about 30 lb overweight and had been smoking two packs of cigarettes per day for 20 years, had no other ailments.  Laboratory blood analysis revealed elevated red blood cell counts but normal white blood cell counts, and low blood oxygen but elevated CO2 levels. For this question, refer to the case study and framework, provided above, as needed.  Identify two clinical manifestations (signs and symptoms) of disease for the patient.