When sugar takes your breath away: how diabetes accelerates COPD progression

Diabetes is much more than high blood sugar. In this issue of EMBO metabolism, Chen et al (REF Chen et al 2026) show that hyperglycemia impairs the lung’s antiviral defense while driving excessive inflammation through the accumulation of harmful advanced glycation end products (AGEs). As viral infections are a major trigger of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and can also worsen glycemic control, these findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the vicious cycle linking diabetes and COPD. By identifying AGEs as key mediators of impaired antiviral immunity, the study highlights AGE inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce viral susceptibility and improve outcomes in patients with COPD - diabetes comorbidity. K. Maedler and A. Kruf discuss the study by Chen et al in this issue of EMBO Mol Med, which shows that hyperglycemia impairs antiviral defense in the lung while promoting excessive inflammation through the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).