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Approved research

Association between dietary intake and lung function

Principal Investigator: Dr Erica Rutten
Approved Research ID: 1163
Approval date: September 18th 2013

Lay summary

Cigarette smoke is an important risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, research suggests that diet may also be important, with some studies finding processed meat and refined grains to increase risk and intake of fruit and vegetables to reduce risk. Until now, it is not clear if the nutrient intake in patients with COPD differs from healthy elderly. Furthermore, it is not known whether diet is related with the severity of COPD. This project aims to investigate 1) the nutrient intake of subjects with COPD in comparison with elderly without COPD and comparable age and 2) the independent association between dietary intake and lung function and lung function impairment, using spirometry measures at baseline. As a secudary objective, we intend to investigate the relation between nutrient intake and incident lunf disease when there are sufficient cases for analyses. This project will help in the understanding of potentially modificable determinants of loss of lung function and severity of obstruction in a British population.