What is the Link between Diet Quality & Risk of COPD?

Research Paper Title

Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 and Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among US Women and Men: Prospective Study.

Study Question

Does a longitudinal association exist between the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010) – a measure of diet quality – and the risk of newly diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Summary Answer

A higher AHEI-2010 diet score was associated with a lower risk of COPD in both women and men.

A higher AHEI-2010 diet score reflects high intakes of whole grains, polyunsaturated fatty acids, nuts, and long chain omega-3 fats and low intakes of red/processed meats, refined grains, and sugar sweetened drinks.

What is Known and What this Paper Adds

The role of dietary scores in risk of COPD is unknown, but previous studies have found a lower risk of COPD associated with increased intake of antioxidants and a greater risk of COPD associated with increased intake of processed meats. Although COPD prevention efforts should continue to focus on smoking cessation, these prospective findings support the importance of a healthy diet in multi-interventional programmes to prevent COPD.