Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disorder that is often not diagnosed until a patient is over 60 years old and has substantial airflow obstruction. At this stage, it can be difficult to manage and treat the condition. To identify those at risk and intervene earlier, several studies have examined risk factors for COPD. But studies to date have predominantly focused on white and older populations. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital leveraged data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) to examine risk factors for early COPD among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos and identified asthma as one of the most important risk factors, followed by smoking and chronic sinusitis. Results are published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.