Blood Eosinophil Count as a Predictor of Lung Function Decline in Healthy Individuals

Toward a Predict and Prevent Approach in Obstructive Airway Diseases

“…[29] In a recent large longitudinal cohort study of young healthy individuals, an association was demonstrated between the baseline blood eosinophil count and development of obstructive lung disease with a hazard ratio of 1.3 for blood eosinophils >200 cells/µL and an almost 2-fold risk in those with blood eosinophils >500 cells/µL, compared to <100 cells/µL, in both smokers and non-smokers. [30] In additional studies, blood eosinophils correlated with lung function decline even in healthy individuals without asthma, [31,32] and a 3-fold increase in baseline blood eosinophils was associated with an increase in the rate of FEV1 decline equivalent to that seen with a 10 pack-year history. [32] FeNO has also been associated with lung function decline in asthma, [33,34] although this association has not been tested in health.…”