Study found susceptible gene region of pneumonia

The University of Oulu in Finland recently released a news bulletin stating that researchers from the university and other institutions have identified multiple genetic regions associated with the risk of pneumonia. This further demonstrates that known risk factors such as smoking and obesity may have a causal relationship with the onset of pneumonia. According to the bulletin, pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and the risk is higher for the elderly, patients with chronic respiratory diseases, individuals with weakened immune systems, heavy alcohol drinkers, and smokers. Researchers from the University of Oulu and the University of Tartu in Estonia analyzed the genetic and long-term health information of over 600,000 individuals in Finland and Estonia, identifying 12 genetic regions associated with the risk of pneumonia, 8 of which were discovered for the first time. Some of the genetic regions are related to the regulation of the body's inflammatory response.