Identifying and preventing the progression of asthma to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Persistent asthma is associated with early lung function loss and persistent obstruction. Recent data suggest that even mild to moderate asthma is associated with reduced lung growth trajectories. Factors underlying this phenomenon include genetic and environmental causes and their interaction via epigenetic mechanisms. Beyond these mechanisms, prenatal factors may also play a role in the determinants of lung growth and subsequent risk of …