Air pollution may trigger genetic COPD risk in children

Research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona suggests that childhood exposure to air pollution can trigger genetic risks for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Analyzing data from the Basel-Bern Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort, which follows children born in Switzerland between 1999 and 2020, investigators found that a polygenic risk score (PRS) for COPD was associated with reduced lung function growth from infancy to age six. This association was specifically observed in children exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Dr. Carla da Silva Sena, representing University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB and Bern University Hospital, noted that COPD develops through a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures. The study suggests that the disease may stem from lung function trajectories established early in life, where lungs fail to reach full growth potential or decline faster than expected due to these combined factors.