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CT scans may detect smokers likely to develop COPD
MedpageToday
Pulmonary blood flow, as measured by CT-based perfusion imaging, can distinguish smokers with early signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers said.
Compared with nonsmokers and smokers with no evidence of COPD, those with subtly abnormal lung structure showed significantly greater variability in blood flow from one lung region to another, according to Eric A. Hoffman, PhD, of the University of Iowa, and colleagues.
The findings suggest that their imaging technique might be a minimally invasive way to identify smokers at heightened risk for COPD before clinical lung function is diminished, the researchers wrote online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
