Too Little, Too Late: Adult Lung Disease Cannot Be Prevented by Interventions in Adult Life

It is becoming increasingly clear that many adults with lung disease are actually the victims of early-life adverse events long before they had any control over their own fate. The prime example is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The data reported by He and colleagues add to the mounting evidence that prevention of adult lung disease will not be achieved by intervening in adult life. Of course, pressure off smoking cessation and other later life exposures must not be considered. Clean air legislation clearly delivers better lung growth. Renewed energy devoted and focused on protecting the unborn baby and the preschool and school-age child. The potentially big reduction in lung cancers and deaths reported by He and colleagues should be a fillip to preventive medicine to proactively take steps to protect the vulnerable young to improve lung health outcomes across the life course. Also, importantly, we need to get the public to see adult respiratory disease through this developmental lens.