One of the aims of the LEAD study, which is the largest epidemiological observational study in Austria to date with more than 11,000 participants, is to investigate the correlations around lung function more closely. The normal course of lung function in a lifetime can be altered by many different events and factors, such as if the mother smoked, the child was born prematurely, the birth weight was low, or repeated respiratory infections in infancy, allergies and malnutrition were present.

“Skeletal muscle is significantly involved in breathing and our latest analysis showed that decreased muscle mass is closely associated with decreased lung function,” explains Alina Ofenheimer, MD, PhD student at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Health and Maastricht University Hospital. “So the question for the future will be whether these particularly well-trained children and adolescents with a lot of muscle will then also become adults with above-average lung function.”