Better Lung Function Linked to Lower Risk of Cardiometabolic Diseases, finds study

Results

• The mean follow-up period was 9.5 ± 3.6 years.

• Lower FVC and disease incidence: Participants who were 10% higher in the predicted FVC showed significantly lesser likelihood of having

• Diabetes (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84 to 0.99)

• Heart disease (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.80 to 0.92)

• Stroke (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.73 to 0.89)

• FEV1 relation: High FEV1 had an inverse relationship with risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

• FEV1/FVC and diabetes: Interestingly, a greater FEV1/FVC ratio was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (OR per 10% = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.35).

• FEV1/FVC unrelated to other diseases: There were no significant associations between FEV1/FVC and the occurrence of heart disease or stroke.

Low FVC emerged as a critical determinant of cardiometabolic disease risk, suggesting its inclusion in predictive models could improve early detection and management strategies. This study offers robust evidence supporting the role of lung function as a broader indicator of systemic health and calls for further research into its integration into clinical risk assessments.

Reference:

Janson, C., Potts, J., Malinovschi, A., Agarwal, D., Ahmed, R., Aquart-Stewart, A., Harrabi, I., Denguezli, M., Devereux, G., Erhabor, G. E., Gislason, T., Jogi, R., Juvekar, S. K., Knox-Brown, B., Koul, P., Mortimer, K., Nafees, A. A., Nielsen, R., Mahesh, P. A., … Amaral, A. F. S. (2025). Lung function and onset of cardiometabolic diseases in the longitudinal Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 12(1), e002442.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2024-002442