Following up on last week's article, your BMI (body mass index) is one of the predictive factors in patients with COPD. Genetics plays a role here. Both lung function and BMI are highly heritable traits, with genetics accounting for 40-70% of the variation in the BMI and lung function accounting for a slightly lower percentage. The question asked in a recent research article was whether the relationship between the predicted BMI to the measured BMI change the prognosis for COPD patients. How the predicted BMI was determined is difficult to explain (if you want to impress someone tell them it was a polygenetic risk score analyzed by a meta- analysis of two large populations).
There were several notable findings in the COPD/ BMI analysis. First, the lowest mortality risk was seen in patients whose two BMIs were similar. Second, in those with a measured BMI lower than the predicted there was a 57% increase in all cause mortality and a 101% increase in respiratory death. Lastly, those whose measured BMI was higher than predicted had only a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality.
What does this all mean? These observations help us understand the genetic influences on both BMI and COPD mortality and highlights the complex interaction of genetic and non-genetic factors in the causation of COPD and patient outcomes.
The modifiable factors are clear. Don‘t smoke, be careful with the air you breath and try to eat healthy and exercise. Simple therapies that are inexpensive.
