The results of a recent study at the Research Institute of the MUHC shows that airway-to-lung size ratio is possibly the most important factor in determining whether someone will die from a lung disease.
“Previous studies have demonstrated associations between lung structure and mortality among heavy smokers, where lung structure may reflect the cumulative effects of smoking. Our study now demonstrates associations between native lung structure and mortality in a general population sample, including among never-smokers.”
Dr. Benjamin Smith
The study included over 6,500 adult participants from multi-ethnic backgrounds in six different regions of the United States who had a mean age of 62 years at the outset of the study in 2000. The results of this study showed that, overall, individuals with larger lungs had a higher resistance to COPD or other lung diseases. An earlier study revealed that dysanapsis, or smaller airway-to-lung ratio, leads to a greater vulnerability to pollutants.
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All airway trees are not created equal, July 20, 2023. RI-MUHC News.
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Association of dysanapsis with mortality among older adults Vameghestahbanati M, Sack C, Wysoczanski A, Hoffman EA, Angelini E, Allen NB, Bertoni AG, Guo J, Jacobs DR Jr, Kaufman JD, Laine A, Lin CL, Malinsky D, Michos ED, Oelsner EC, Shea SJ, Watson KE, Benedetti A, Barr RG, Smith BM. Eur Respir J. 2023 Jun 8;61(6):2300551. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00551-2023. PMID: 37263750.
Dr. Benjamin Smith is the senior author of the study and a researcher at the Meakins-Christie Laboratories and the Research Institute of the MUHC.