Some people may be gifted compared to others. Apparently, some people may still have healthy lungs even if they are smoking for years. Now, UK scientists have discovered why this phenomenon happens.
New research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine and presented at this year's European Respiratory Society (ERS) meeting in Amsterdam shows the first data ever extracted from the UK Biobank. They analyzed data from 50,000 people wherein it shows favorable mutations in the DNA-enhanced lung function that covered the effects of smoking to the lungs.
They compared smokers and non-smokers plus those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and without, BBC reports. They found out that people with 'good genes' were less likely to suffer from COPD than those with the 'bad genes'.
COPD is an obstructive lung disease that happens over time. It involves the inflammation and thickening of the airways; damage of the tissue lining of the lungs and destruction of the elasticity of the alveoli where oxygen exchange takes place. Smoking is the major culprit and cause of this deadly disease.
COPD affects over 24 million Americans and our community stretches across all 50 states according to the latest data presented by COPD Foundation Organization. It may be a chronic disease but it can be prevented and treated by lifestyle changes.
According to a press release, in the program, UK Biobank Lung Exome Variant Evaulation, the researchers were able to get reliable new genetic data that are used to seek information regarding the genetic causes of smoking behavior and lung health. The respondents were divided into those who smoke and those who do not and associated it with the best, average and poor lung function among these individuals.
They were able to find six independent genetic variants associated with lung health and COPD. In fact, they also found genetic variants of COPD in people who do not smoke and never smoked in their life. Apparently, chromosome 17 was linked to lung health in both smokers and nonsmokers.
They commented, "These findings, taken together with previous findings, will help define pathways underlying predisposition to development of COPD and smoking behaviors."
They added, "A full understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying these genetic associations will improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of COPD and smoking behavior, and potentially give rise to novel therapeutic strategies for the management of airway disease and prevention of nicotine addiction."
Professor Martin Tobin, one of the researchers at the University of Leicaster said, "There doesn't appear to be any kind of magic bullet that would give anyone guaranteed protection against tobacco smoke - they would still have lungs that were unhealthier than they would be had they been a non-smoker."
"The strongest thing that people can do to affect their future health in terms of COPD and also smoking-related disease like cancer and heart disease is to stop smoking," he concluded.
