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

Airway-occluding mucus plugs (MPs)—as identified on CT scans—are frequent in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Prior studies have shown that body mass index (BMI) tends to be lower among individuals with MPs. To further investigate this relationship, we assessed whether BMI is associated with MPs in two large, multicentre cohorts of tobacco-exposed participants with and without COPD. In multivariable models, lower BMI was associated with an increased prevalence of MPs in COPD and non-COPD groups. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association.