A summary of research published in the European Respiratory Review
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term lung condition that causes damage to the airways and the small air sacs in the lungs, making it harder to breathe. COPD is often linked to smoking and is usually thought of as a disease that starts in later life.
New research shows that the risk of COPD can start much earlier, even before birth. How our lungs grow and change over time is very important for whether we get COPD later. This means there may be ways to find people at risk earlier and prevent the disease before it starts.
Our lungs start growing before we are born and keep getting stronger through childhood and teenage years. Lung function reaches its highest level in early adulthood. After that, it slowly gets weaker as we get older.
Everyone’s lung health follows a different path. Some people start with strong lungs and lose function slowly. Others may start with weaker lungs or lose lung function faster. These differences affect who might get COPD and when.
Many things can affect how lungs grow and change, such as smoking, air pollution, infections during childhood and our genes. Because lung function changes over time, doctors can find people at risk of COPD early and help protect their lungs.
The researchers looked at the latest evidence on how COPD develops and how we might find it earlier. The study confirms that people follow different lung health paths. Some start life with lungs that do not grow as well and have lower lung function early on. Others begin with normal lung function but lose it faster than usual as they get older.
They also found that:
The study also discusses new ways to predict COPD risk earlier, such as genetic risk scores, blood tests and scans.
COPD is not only a disease of old age or smoking. It can begin much earlier and may go unnoticed for years before symptoms appear. By understanding how lung function changes over life and identifying early risks, we may be able to detect COPD sooner or even prevent it.
The authors suggest that lung health checks should be used more widely, including in schools and workplaces. They also highlight the importance of reducing early exposure to harmful things such as tobacco smoke and air pollution.
Supporting healthy lung growth in childhood and checking lung function over time could help reduce COPD in future generations.
Read the full paper: Towards early detection and disease interception of COPD across the lifespan
The LungHealth4Life project works to help children and young people look after their lungs from an early age. It aims to make lung health checks available in schools and to teach why lung health matters. The project also studies what stops people from getting good lung care, including social and environmental challenges. By identifying lung problems early, the project hopes to reduce lung diseases like COPD in the future. You can find out more at the LungHealth4Life project page.
