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Pneumonia during childhood increases COPD risk, decreases lung function in adult smokers

Adults identified as current or former smokers demonstrated an increased risk for COPD and a greater likelihood of decreased lung function if they developed pneumonia as a child, according to study results.

Lystra P. Hayden, MD, of the division of respiratory diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital, and colleagues evaluated 10,192 current and former smokers from the United States COPDGene study. About 8% of participants (n = 856) reported they had pneumonia prior to age 16 years.

Researchers compared study participants based on lung function tests, respiratory disease assessments and quantitative analysis of chest CT scans.

Results showed childhood pneumonia was associated with COPD (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.17-1.66), as well as increased exacerbations related to COPD and chronic bronchitis.

Participants with childhood pneumonia also had lower lung function. They demonstrated reduced post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second ([FEV₁], 69.1% vs. a predicted 77.1%) forced vital capacity ([FVC], 82.7% vs. a predicted 87.4%), and FEV₁ to FVC ratio (0.63 vs. a predicted 0.67; P < .001 for all).

Other complications linked to childhood pneumonia included an increased airway wall thickness observed with CT. Hayden and colleagues found that participants who had both pneumonia and asthma during childhood were significantly more likely to develop COPD (OR = 1.85; 95 % CI, 1.1-3.18). – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report speakers bureau roles with, grants from, consultant roles with or other financial compensation from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, CSL Behring, Forest Labs, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, MEDA, Mylan, Novartis, Pulmonx, Roche, Spiration, Sunovion and Teva.