CHEST Guidelines-CT-Scan-Segmental-Airway-Lumen-Area

CT-Scan-Segmental-Airway-Lumen-Area_chest (1)

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A letter to the editor in a 2015 issue of CHEST discusses a study by Thomson and colleagues that found reduced airway lumen areas in smokers with asthma compared to those who never smoked. The letter, authored by David J. Ross and Victoria J. Sebbage, suggests that socioeconomic status (SES) could also influence lung function and smoking habits. They note that lower SES is associated with poorer lung outcomes, a connection that persists throughout life. Ross and Sebbage critique the study for using body surface area instead of height, which is a more informative marker of early-life SES. Additionally, they point out a transcription inconsistency within the study's data.<br /><br />In response, Neil C. Thomson and his co-authors acknowledge the comments, including the transcription error, providing the corrected data for the left bronchial 3 lumen area. They agree that while height comparisons were indeed considered in the study, the cross-sectional nature of the study prevents them from conclusively addressing the impact of early-life SES on airway dimensions. They appreciate the critique and clarify that they could not entirely rule out the influence of lower socioeconomic status on asthma outcomes in smokers.<br /><br />The response also details the study's funding sources, highlighting collaboration between universities and healthcare organizations in Scotland along with support from Pfizer (formerly Wyeth). Both contributions emphasize the complex interplay of smoking, socioeconomic factors, and asthma severity, advocating for further research into how SES affects lung function over time.

Keywords

smokers

asthma

socioeconomic status

lung function

airway lumen

study critique

transcription error

early-life SES

funding sources

lung outcomes