It depends on the size - why smaller lungs often get sick more often

People with smaller lungs are at higher risk for lung disease
In a new study, scientists were able to show why there is a greater risk of lung disease in people with smaller lungs. In addition, genes can be used to predict the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Third most frequent cause of death worldwide
Lung diseases are still a major health challenge for our society. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) alone is the third leading cause of death worldwide. It is also popularly known as smoker's cough. Many patients often do not know for a long time about their severe lung disease. It always begins insidiously. "In order to develop efficient therapies, scientists are working to understand the basic mechanisms in the lungs," states a statement by Helmholtz Zentrum München. They have now taken a big step forward.

Researchers have discovered why people with smaller lungs are at greater risk for lung disease. Thanks to the new findings, the scientists hope to be better able to combat such diseases in the future. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com)

Lung healthy people with a smaller lung are at greater risk
Especially the interplay between genes and the environment gets more and more into focus.

"We are still particularly interested in the relationship of certain genes to lung function, as it is known that people with healthy lungs with a smaller lung are at an increased risk for lung diseases," said Prof. Dr. med. Holger Schulz, Acting Director of the Institute of Epidemiology I (EPI I) at Helmholtz Zentrum München.

In the current study, in which the Helmholtz scientists were involved, gave genetic clues why this could be so.

Dr. Christian Gieger, head of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology (AME) at Helmholtz Zentrum München, commented, "We identified gene variants associated with decreased lung function and whose carriers are at an increased risk of developing COPD."

To intervene in the lung biology to fight diseases
As the researchers further explained, the study provided "initial pathophysiological explanations for the relationship between lung function and certain genes". Moreover, the latter are also candidates for future therapeutic approaches, this translational aspect is particularly important to the scientists.

The results of the study were published in the journal "Nature Genetics".

The scientist involved in the work at the EPI I, Dr. Stefan Karrasch, explained the methodical procedure: "First of all, genome data from almost 49,000 subjects with very different lung function values ​​were examined. The gene candidates found were then examined in a second phase on the basis of data from more than 95,000 subjects. "

In this way, the scientists increased the number of candidate genes from 54 to 97. In future, they hope, one could try in these places to intervene in the lung biology to combat diseases. According to the information, active ingredients are already being developed for some areas.

Almost four times as high risk
In the work, which was led by the University of Leicester, the scientists also designed a so-called risk score to predict the likelihood of COPD.

As stated in a communication, patients with the highest scores had nearly four times the risk of developing COPD than those with the lowest scores. (Ad)