Study links lung disease to childhood illnesses

Three-quarters of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be traced back to exposures during childhood, a study has found.

COPD is the name for a group of lung conditions which cause breathing difficulties including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which mainly affect middle-aged or older adults who smoke.

While smoking remains the biggest risk factor for COPD, the Australian study showed that childhood illnesses – such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and eczema – and exposures to parental smoking were also linked to the disease.

A second study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal also suggested there could be a window of opportunity during childhood to reduce the risk of poor lung function in later life.