CT-based airway changes after smoking cessation in the general population

Ivan Dudurych; Grigory Sidorenkov; Marcel van Tuinen; Dirk-Jan Slebos; Geertruida H de Bock; Maarten van den Berge; Marleen de Bruijne; Rozemarijn Vliegenthart

doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111905

CT-based airway changes after smoking cessation in the general population

Eur J Radiol. 2024 Dec 28:183:111905. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111905. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ivan Dudurych¹, Grigory Sidorenkov², Marcel van Tuinen³, Dirk-Jan Slebos⁴, Geertruida H de Bock⁵, Maarten van den Berge⁶, Marleen de Bruijne⁷, Rozemarijn Vliegenthart⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: i.dudurych@umcg.nl.
² Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: g.sidorenkov@umcg.nl.
³ Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.van.tuinen@umcg.nl.
⁴ Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: d.j.slebos@umcg.nl.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: g.h.de.bock@umcg.nl.
⁶ Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.van.den.berge@umcg.nl.
⁷ Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: marleen.debruijne@erasmusmc.nl.
⁸ Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: r.vliegenthart@umcg.nl.

PMID: 39755007
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111905

Abstract

Purpose: Previous research has demonstrated improvements in CT-derived bronchial parameters in the first years after smoking cessation. This study investigates the association between longer smoking cessation duration and bronchial parameters in lung-healthy and lung-unhealthy ex-smokers from the general population.

Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using low-dose CT scans of ex-smokers from the general population with at least 10 pack-years from the ImaLife study, a sub study within the Lifelines cohort. Participants ⩾45 years who completed a lung-function test were recruited for low-dose CT imaging. We divided them into lung-healthy and lung-unhealthy based on spirometry, self-reported diagnosis and imaging signs of respiratory disease. Bronchial parameters Pi10, wall thickness, luminal area and wall area percent (WAP) were obtained using a previously validated method. Multivariable linear regression (MLR) was used to evaluate the independent associations between smoking cessation duration and bronchial parameters, adjusting for sex, age, height, weight, and pack-years.

Results: The study included 1,869 ex-smokers; 1,421 (76 %) were classified as lung-healthy (58 % men, mean age 64.2 ± 9.8 years, pack-years 16.5 [12.5-23.3], smoking cessation duration 20.0 [14.0-29.0] years) and 448 (24 %) as unhealthy (56 % men, mean age 66.1 ± 10.5 years, pack-years 18.2 [13.4-25.2], smoking cessation duration 20.0 [13.8-29.0] years). In the lung-unhealthy group, individuals with a longer duration of smoking cessation had a lower WAP compared to those with a shorter cessation duration (-0.528 % per 10 years, p = 0.005). In contrast, in MLR no significant associations were observed for the lung-healthy group..

Conclusions: In individuals with respiratory conditions, longer smoking cessation duration is related to a decrease in wall area percent of the bronchial walls. The results suggest the potential for improvements in airway health when people quit smoking, warranting further investigation with longitudinal studies.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Bronchi; Computed Tomography, X-Ray; General Population; Smoking; Thorax.