The most significant associations in both the discovery exome analysis and the meta-analysis were with SNPs in the 15q25 region, previously identified through GWAS as being associated with smoking behaviour,22–24 lung cancer,25 COPD3 and airflow obstruction.14 In addition, we independently replicated previously reported associations of HHIP,3, 10GPR12614 and MMP127, 8 with COPD risk. Here, HHIP is linked to lung cancer.