Can Epigenetics Determine the Best Diet for Lung Health?

A novel dietary pattern linked to lung health could inform nutritional modifications for optimal lung health in people who currently or formerly smoked, according to a recent study published in CHEST.

In the study, Yue Feng, PhD, of the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues, expanded upon previous research that identified a sputum DNA methylation panel capable of predicting lung aging and lung cancer risk.

The aim of the epidemiological research was to examine how the sputum panel could be leveraged to determine the most beneficial diet for lung health, as well as how that diet correlated with “various subjective and objective lung health phenotypes.”

To define the most beneficial diet for lung health, the investigators evaluated the Lovelace Smoker Cohort (LSC) using the LASSO regularized Poisson regression. Generalized linear and Cox models were used to further explore the relationship of objective and subjective lung health phenotypes with diet, both in the LSC group and through data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening trial.

Researchers defined the most ideal dietary pattern for lung health (DiPHeaL) as one that included “low consumption of processed meat and high consumption of dark-green vegetables, tea, alcohol, and fruit juice.”

Among the LSC cohort, a higher DiPHeaL score correlated with significantly improved FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, respiratory quality of life, and decreased cardiopulmonary mortality (all P<0.05) These results were observed in people who formerly smoked, who showed a decrease in cardiopulmonary mortality by 47%, but not in those who currently smoke.

In addition, DiPHeaL had a greater effect on respiratory quality of life for those who formerly smoked and had airway obstruction versus those without airway obstruction. Similar associations with respiratory and cardiovascular mortality were observed among people who formerly smoked in the PLCO group.

The PLCO cohort also showed that a greater DiPHeaL score correlated with lower lung cancer incidence in those who were former smokers. A higher DiPHeaL score was also associated with reduced COPD incidence and lung cancer mortality, regardless of smoking status, in the PLCO cohort.

According to the researchers, people who formerly smoked, especially those with airway obstruction, “may benefit the most from nutritional modification.”

Source: CHEST