NEW DELHI, India– People with severe obesity may experience premature aging of their lungs, according to a new study by German researchers who found that excess body weight alters the lung’s structural framework and reduces elasticity.
The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Bonn and published in Cell Reports, investigated how obesity impacts lung tissue at a molecular level. Using advanced multi-omics techniques — which simultaneously analyze proteins, fats, and genes — the team discovered that obesity remodels the extracellular matrix, the protein-based scaffolding that gives the lungs shape and stability.
“These changes in lung tissue are similar to those that normally occur with age and suggest that being overweight causes the lungs to ‘age’ prematurely,” the researchers wrote.
The team studied both obese and lean mice, analyzed human lung fibroblasts (connective tissue cells), and conducted microscopic and functional tests to assess how obesity affects lung composition and performance. They found that in obesity, lung fibroblasts tend to accumulate fat, become more mobile, and display signs of early aging.
At the same time, the structure of the lung’s matrisome — the network of proteins that maintains tissue integrity — becomes altered. The balance of key protease inhibitors is also disrupted, leading to reduced elasticity in the lungs.
“These changes make the lungs less elastic, which could explain why obesity is often associated with breathing difficulties,” the study noted. The researchers added that the biological patterns observed in obese subjects closely resemble those seen in natural aging, suggesting that excess weight acts as a catalyst for premature lung deterioration.
One of the study’s challenges was developing methods to analyze the lung’s fibroblastic stroma — the dense connective tissue that contains various cell types and complex, often insoluble proteins. Despite these obstacles, the team found consistent evidence linking obesity with cellular and molecular markers of aging.
“Overall, obesity led to complex alterations in the lung that ultimately affect fibroblastic stromal cells and suggest that overnutrition may act as a contributor to premature aging, thereby compromising lung health,” the researchers concluded.
The findings add to growing evidence that obesity not only impacts metabolic and cardiovascular systems but may also accelerate the aging of vital organs such as the lungs. (Source: IANS)
