title: New Mexican Hispanic smokers have lower odds of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and less decline in lung function than non-Hispanic whites.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of cigarette smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not well characterized in Hispanics in the United States. Understanding how ethnicity influences COPD is important for a number of reasons, from informing public health policies to dissecting the genetic and environmental effects that contribute to disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study assessed differences in risk between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites for longitudinal and cross-sectional COPD phenotypes. Genetic ancestry was used to verify findings based on self-reported ethnicity. Hispanics in New Mexico are primarily differentiated from non-Hispanic whites by their proportion of Native American ancestry.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in a New Mexican cohort of current and former smokers. Self-reported Hispanic and non-Hispanic white ethnicity was validated by defining genetic ancestry proportions at the individual level using 48 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. Self-reported ethnicity and genetic ancestry were independently used to assess associations with cross-sectional and longitudinal measures of lung function. Multivariable models were adjusted for indicators of smoking behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported Hispanic ethnicity was significantly associated with lower odds of COPD (odds ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.71; P = 0.007), and this protection was validated by the observation that Hispanic smokers have reduced risk of rapid decline in lung function (odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.78; P = 0.003). Similar findings were noted when Native American genetic ancestry proportions were used as predictors instead of self-report of Hispanic ethnicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hispanic ethnicity is inversely associated with cross-sectional and longitudinal spirometric COPD phenotypes even after adjustment for smoking. Native American genetic ancestry may account for this "Hispanic protection."
authors: Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USA.
authors: Shannon
authors: S
authors: Bruse
authors: Akshay
authors: A
authors: Sood
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Petersen
authors: Yushi
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Shuguang
authors: S
authors: Leng
authors: Juan C
authors: JC
authors: Celedón
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Gilliland
authors: Bartolomé
authors: B
authors: Celli
authors: Steven A
authors: SA
authors: Belinsky
authors: Yohannes
authors: Y
authors: Tesfaigzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013147:Spirometry; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers