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Body mass index and airway mucus plugs: findings from the COPDGene and ECLIPSE studies

Jose Manuel Martinez Manzano1,2, Sofia K Mettler3,2, Ruchita Borgaonkar3

  • 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA jmartinezmanzano@bwh.harvard.edu.

Thorax
|June 23, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Lower body mass index (BMI) is linked to more airway mucus plugs (MPs) in both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and non-COPD individuals. This association warrants further investigation into underlying mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Airway-occluding mucus plugs (MPs), visible on CT scans, are common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • Previous research suggests a correlation between lower body mass index (BMI) and the presence of MPs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between BMI and MPs.
  • To assess this relationship in both COPD and non-COPD populations.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of two large, multicentre cohorts.
  • Inclusion of tobacco-exposed participants with and without COPD.
  • Multivariable regression models to assess the association between BMI and MPs.

Main Results:

  • Lower BMI was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of MPs.
  • This association was observed in both COPD and non-COPD groups.
  • The findings were consistent across both study cohorts.

Conclusions:

  • A lower BMI is associated with a higher prevalence of airway mucus plugs.
  • This relationship exists in individuals with and without COPD.
  • Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this association.
Keywords:
COPD Pathology

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