Sex differences in the association of airflow obstruction (a hallmark of COPD) with smoking history

What is it about?

Some research suggests that women who smoke are more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than men who also smoke. To answer the question “is the effect of cigarette smoking on the lungs the same for men and women?” we analysed data from almost 250,000 participants taking part in the UK Biobank and who had provided good quality measurements of their lung function and information on smoking.

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Photo by Anastasia Vityukova on Unsplash

Photo by Anastasia Vityukova on Unsplash

Why is it important?

For the same number of cigarettes smoked per day and years of smoking, we found that female smokers are at greater risk of airflow obstruction (a feature of conditions such as COPD) than male smokers. We have also found that dose–effect relationship of airflow obstruction with smoking is nonlinear in both women and men. Our findings support the creation of anti-tobacco campaigns specifically targeting women as their lungs are more susceptible to the effects of cigarette smoking.