Three quarters of cases of adult chronic obstructive bronchitis (COPD) are linked to childhood risk factors, risk factors and lesions that would be aggravated in adulthood. This new understanding makes it possible to envisage real prevention.
By 2030, chronic obstructive bronchitis (COPD) is expected to become the 3th cause of death worldwide. The main risk factor for this disease is smoking. But some patients are diagnosed with chronic obstructive bronchitis who have never smoked, and only 20-25% of smokers develop chronic bronchitis.
In an Australian study, researchers report that 75% of COPD cases are due to exposure to risk factors during childhood and are then amplified by other attacks in adulthood: childhood diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis, eczema and exposure to parental smoking are believed to be major contributors to the development of COPD in adulthood. Their results were published in the Lancet April 5, 2018.
Follow-up from childhood to adulthood
Two thousand four hundred and thirty-eight participants were followed from childhood until the age of 53: this is the longest study ever! The results suggest that attacks on the lungs in childhood are important indicators of the risk of chronic obstructive bronchitis in adulthood. These are then aggravated by smoking and asthma in adulthood. Indeed, damage already caused during childhood may be responsible for a faster decrease in lung function in adulthood.
In contrast, researchers find that three-quarters of children aged 1 to 6 months with poor lung function improved throughout their childhood. This finding shows that it is possible to preserve lung function and potentially reduce the risk of chronic bronchitis later in life by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Maximizing lung growth during infancy may reduce the risk of developing COPD in the elderly, researchers say.
Three-quarters of COPD cases are linked to childhood risk factors that are exacerbated in adulthood – new research https://t.co/Mj8qEtveDh #COPD #asthma @unimelb @MonashUni pic.twitter.com/LiPOaFIk8M
– The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (@LancetRespirMed) April 6, 2018
Chronic bronchitis and childhood risk factors
The results of this study underline the importance of preventing both early exposure to attacks capable of altering lung growth and at the same time the risk factors occurring in adulthood that contribute to the decline of pulmonary function. For example, ensuring that all asthmatics receive appropriate treatment can be vital in maintaining lung function.
For Australian Professor Shyamali Dharmage, “reducing maternal exposure to smoke and smoking, controlling asthma and promoting immunization are primary public health goals”.
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