How some smokers stay healthy: genetic factors revealed

British scientific team have identified certain DNA profiles at lower risk of a range of lung diseases and hope their findings might lead to better treatments

The genetic factors that explain why some people seem to maintain healthy lungs despite a lifetime of smoking have been uncovered by British scientists.

A team funded by the Medical Research Council say their investigations into smokers who survive their habit into old age could hold the key to better treatment for diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).