Study links lung disease and memory decline

A new study by experts in the Netherlands has established a link between lung disease and memory loss, which may pave the way for new therapies for both conditions in the future.

The report was presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress, and suggests that impaired cognitive functioning could be an important factor in the onset of obstructive lung disease (OLD).

Previously, research has suggested that people with OLD, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), experience a range of cognitive impairments, but the new report focused on which domain-specific cognitive functions were affected in OLD sufferers.

With the use of data from the UK Biobank Resource, experts looked at 5,764 sufferers of OLD and 37,275 people who did not have the condition, with every participant asked to complete a number of cognitive tests.

It revealed that sufferers of OLD performed much worse than people who did not have the condition in memory tests, pairs matching tests and a reaction time test.

It demonstrates that people with OLD are more likely to experience cognitive impairment, particularly in memory and information processing, concluded lead author Fiona Cleutjens, from the Centre of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure in the Netherlands.

"We know that OLD can often exist alongside other conditions and our new study has found evidence that OLD is linked with problems with memory and information processing," she explained.

"This can be very debilitating, especially for someone who is already dealing with the symptoms of OLD. Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals need to be aware of the possible impact of cognitive impairment in the self-management, clinical management and pulmonary rehabilitation of OLD patients."