Canadian Cohort on the Origin and Progression of Airway Disease: Physiology Platform

The Canadian Respiratory Research Network (CRRN) has recently been established to study the origins and evolution of airways disease in the population. The CRRN is funded by the Institute of Cardio-respiratory Health (ICRH), an institute of the CIHR. The Physiology platform will support the other CRRN platforms (biology, imaging, population health, knowledge transfer) by providing a comprehensive characterization of the nature and extent of physiological impairment of respiratory function in smokers at risk for airways disease and in those with early or mild airway obstruction. The planned studies of the physiology group (core sites located at Queen's University, University of British Columbia and McGill University) will initially focus on smoking-related lung injury in those at risk for COPD and in those meeting spirometric criteria for mild airway obstruction, with or without respiratory symptoms. The primary aim of this initial study is to identify and validate sensitive test(s) of peripheral airway dysfunction that may qualify as physiological biomarkers for use in future CRRN studies.