Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and SIRT6, NAD+-dependent Class III protein deacetylases, are putative anti-aging enzymes, down-regulated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is characterized by the accelerated ageing of the lung and associated with increased oxidative stress. Here, SIRT1 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.