Jiankang Wu, Weiwei Meng, Yiming Ma, Zhiqi Zhao, Ruoyan Xiong, Jiayu Wang, Rui Zhao, Huihui Zeng, Yan Chen
BACKGROUND: Smoking remains a major risk factor for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Due to the adolescent smoking associated with worse health state, the age, at which an individual started smoking, might play a key role in shaping the trajectory of COPD development and the severity. METHODS: We conducted an observational study from September 2016 through January 2023 of eligible patients hospitalized with COPD. Patients who started smoking during the alveolar development stage (ADS, smoking initiation ≤ 24 years old) were defined as early smoking patients, and patients who started smoking after ADS (smoking initiation > 24 years old) were defined as late smoking patients...
March 25, 2024: Respiratory Research