Lung function assessment is influenced by an interaction of genetic and environmental interactions, possibly explaining the association of low lung function multimorbidity and premature death. Identifying vulnerability to low lung function will be helpful in predicting susceptibility to acute respiratory disorders like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a complex syndrome driven by an interplay of three major biological processes – epithelial and endothelial damage and a dysregulated inflammatory response. One of the most effective strategies in ARDS is increasing oxygenation through increasing lung aeration seen with prone positioning. Intuitively, low lung function would limit the effectiveness of such maneuvers to increase the severity of the disease. The other major driving factor for ARDS is an exaggerated inflammatory response which severely damages the alveolar lining. Understanding the evolution of the immune response, would further reinforce this exploration of susceptibility of individuals to the severity of ARDS. By utilizing the longitudinal data available in the UK biobank, we can get indications regarding the demographic, anthropometric, environmental and genetic risk factors associated with a poor lung function, and thus identify covariates associated with a poor prognosis in respiratory disorders like ARDS. Moreover, understanding the evolution of the immune response including the response to infections would strengthen such predictions identifying individuals susceptible to a more severe form of respiratory and critical care diseases like ARDS.
