TUESDAY, Aug. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Lung nodules are present in 42.0 percent of nonsmokers in a Northern European population, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in Radiology.

Jiali Cai, M.D., from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues examined the prevalence and size distribution of solid lung nodules by age and sex in a nonsmoking population in the Northern Netherlands. Adults aged 45 years and older with completed lung function tests underwent chest low-dose computed tomography scans. The presence and size of solid lung nodules measuring 30 mm³ or greater were registered by seven trained readers using semiautomated software.

Data were included for 10,431 participants (46.1 and 53.9 percent never smokers and former smokers). The researchers found that 42.0 percent of the participants had at least one lung nodule. From age 45 to 49.9 years to age 80 years or older, the prevalence of lung nodules increased (male participants: 39.4 to 60.7 percent; female participants: 27.7 to 50.9 percent). In 11.1 percent of participants, clinically relevant lung nodules were present, with prevalence increasing with age (men: 8.5 to 24.4 percent; women: 3.7 to 15.6 percent); actionable nodules were present in 1.1 to 6.4 percent and in 0.6 to 4.9 percent of male and female participants, respectively.

“The overall prevalence of lung nodules was 42.0 percent, with clinically relevant nodules (11.1 percent) and actionable nodules (2.3 percent) requiring further evaluation found to be fairly common,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

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