Genetically Predicted Body Mass Index and Mortality in COPD
Dr. Jingzhou Zhang, a senior pulmonary fellow, investigated the role of BMI in COPD mortality through a multi-cohort genetic epidemiology study. While both low and extremely high BMI are associated with increased mortality in COPD, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using a polygenic score for BMI, Dr. Zhang and colleagues found that genetically determined BMI was positively associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, but not respiratory death, in individuals with COPD. A discordantly low BMI (measured BMI lower than genetically predicted) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause and respiratory mortality, after adjusting for COPD severity, suggesting its potential prognostic value for patients with COPD.
This work, led by Dr. Zhang and co-supervised by Dr. George O’Connor and Dr. Michael Cho, was recently published as an original article in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Read the whole article here.