Frailty is a serious concern for those who smoke, even if their lung function seems fine. A study known as COPDGene shed light on this issue by following smokers aged 45 to 80 over a decade. The findings revealed that 15% of participants were frail, while 51% were in a prefrail state. This means a significant number of smokers are at risk, regardless of their lung te...

The idea that having a sense of purpose might be good for your lungs is a fascinating one. It is not a new thought that having a clear sense of purpose in life can lead to better health. This idea has been studied before. However, it is unclear whether this sense of purpose can affect lung function. Lung function is a crucial indicator of overall health and how l...

Breathing is something we do without even thinking. But did you know that how well we breathe as kids can affect our lungs when we get older? This is not a new thought. It has been studied for years. The lungs are like a big tree with many branches. These branches help us breathe in and out. As we get older, these branches can get smaller or even disappear. Th...

Asthma is a common issue among kids, but diagnosing it can be challenging. One major hurdle is how doctors measure lung function. They often use a tool called the Global Lung Initiative (GLI) equation. This equation doesn't consider race, which can lead to problems. Recent studies have shown that when this race-neutral equation is used, it can make it seem like Blac...

For a long time, scientists have debated whether the way babies are born affects their breathing later in life. Some studies say yes, while others say no. This time, researchers wanted to look at something different: whether moms being in labor or not makes a difference. They thought that maybe babies born to moms who were in labor might have better lung function whe...