Central Airway Collapse Worsens Quality of Life for Smokers

Current and former smokers who have expiratory central airway collapse (ECAC) have worse respiratory quality of life than those without ECAC, according to recent research.

Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a narrowed airway canal—only 2 mm in diameter. In ECAC patients, the larger central airway is more than 50% blocked, which is believed to further restrict inspiration and expiration.
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To determine how ECAC affects patients, researchers analyzed computed tomography (CT) scans from 8820 smokers in the COPDGene study from 2008 to 2011. Researchers included current and former smokers with and without ECAC and COPD.

Researchers tracked respiratory quality of life at baseline as well as dyspnea, 6-minute walk distance, and exacerbation frequency at follow up.

After a median 4-year follow-up, researchers found that 5% of participants had ECAC. Those with ECAC had a worse respiratory quality of life and worse dyspnea than those without ECAC. In addition, participants with ECAC had more frequent and more severe exacerbations.

“In a cross-sectional analysis of current and former smokers, the presence of ECAC was associated with worse respiratory quality of life,” researchers concluded. “Further studies are needed to assess long-term associations with clinical outcomes.”

--Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Bhatt SP, Terry NLJ, Nath H, et al. Association between expiratory central airway collapse and respiratory outcomes among smokers. JAMA. 2016;315(5):498-505. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.19431.