Lung diseases
Project goals
Lung diseases are among the most common causes of death worldwide. The German National Cohort (NAKO) provides an important database for analysing respiratory health in the population and for the prevention of respiratory diseases in Germany.
With regard to respiratory health, the central measurement methods in the NAKO are primarily spirometry and the determination of nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO). Spirometry provides measurements of lung volume and possible airflow limitation. The FeNO measurement serves as a clinically established marker for inflammation in the airways.
First results
Analysis of the data at the midpoint of the baseline study:
The results of over 100,000 participants in the spirometry and FeNO measurements were within the expected range in terms of their distributions and known influencing variables.
According to the data base at the midpoint of the NAKO, 8.7 per cent of women and 7.0 per cent of men reported that they had ever been diagnosed with asthma.
Publications
Karrasch S, Peters A, Meisinger C, et al. Lungenfunktion in der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie: Methoden und erste Ergebnisse. Bundesgesundheitsbl. 2020;63(3):322-331. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-020-03102-1
Langer S, Horn J, Kluttig A, et al. Häufigkeit von Asthma bronchiale und Alter bei der Erstdiagnose – erste Ergebnisse der NAKO Gesundheitsstudie. Bundesgesundheitsbl. 2020;63(4):397-403. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-020-03105-y
Speakers
Dr. Stefan Karrasch