Risk factors for interstitial lung disease: a 9-year Nationwide population-based study.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a group of serious respiratory conditions.
• Identifying risk factors for ILD is crucial for understanding its pathogenesis and developing preventive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify independent risk factors associated with the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, nationwide, population-based cohort study utilizing 9-year longitudinal data.
• Included subjects aged over 40 with a history of cigarette smoking.
• Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) for ILD development in a cohort of 312,519 subjects.

Main Results:

• Interstitial lung disease (ILD) developed in 1972 subjects over the 9-year follow-up period.
• Significant risk factors identified include smoking (HR: 1.2), hepatitis C (HR: 1.6), history of tuberculosis (HR: 1.5), history of pneumonia (HR: 1.6), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (HR: 1.8), and male sex (HR: 1.9).
• The risk of ILD increased with age, being 6.9 times higher in individuals over 70 compared to those in their forties.

Conclusions:

• Smoking, hepatitis C infection, prior tuberculosis, pneumonia history, COPD, male gender, and advanced age are significantly associated with increased risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) development.
• These findings highlight modifiable and non-modifiable factors contributing to ILD.
• The study underscores the importance of considering these risk factors in clinical practice and public health initiatives for ILD prevention.