A recent study involving researchers from the DZL shows that increased airway resistance may serve as an early indicator of future lung damage, even in seemingly healthy smokers. The findings were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The study focuses on oscillometry, a sensitive method for measuring airway resistance. The analysis is based on data from two large population-based cohort studies in Germany, the KORA study and the SHIP study. The study included current and former smokers with normal spirometry and no known lung disease.
The results show that around 17% of participants already had elevated airway resistance despite normal lung function. These individuals experienced a significantly greater decline in lung function over time. In addition, their risk of developing abnormal spirometry later on was nearly six times higher compared to those with normal values.
For the first time, the study provides robust evidence that structural airway changes can be detected before abnormalities appear in conventional lung function tests. The parameter analyzed (R5) proved to be particularly informative, while other measures were less clearly associated with disease progression.
The findings highlight the potential of oscillometry as a complementary tool for the early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Especially in at-risk groups such as smokers, this approach could help identify vulnerable individuals earlier and enable targeted preventive care.
Although further studies are needed to confirm these results, the data clearly suggest that airway resistance could become an important component of more precise risk assessment and early intervention in COPD.
Original publication:
Abdo M, Trinkmann F, Ewert R, Obst A, Völzke H, Flexeder C, Heier M, Peters A, Herth F, Watz H, Rabe KF, Stubbe B, Karrasch S, Grp KS, Grp SS (2025) High Oscillometry-derived Airway Resistance Is Associated with FEV1 Decline and Future Abnormal Spirometry in Smokers with Initially Normal Spirometry. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 211: 2142-2145 (ARCN, CPC-M, TLRC) https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202507-1645RL
