TY - JOUR T1 - Highlights from this issue JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - i LP - i DO - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-209629 VL - 71 IS - 12 AU - The Triumvirate Y1 - 2016/12/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/71/12/i.abstract N2 - The term “fat happy wheezer” was formerly used to describe plump, pre-school children who had an episode of wheezing but who generally did well. The term has fallen into disuse – most parents don't like the term “fat”. On page 1091 of this issue Maja Popovic, and colleagues examine the relationship between infant size, weight velocity and tempo (age at peak weight velocity) and wheezing between 6 months and 18 years of age. They find that infant size and weight velocity are related to the risk of wheezing but that tempo is not. More work is needed to explore the mechanism by which faster growth and larger size might produce a “fat happy wheezer”.Rodents are discouraged in most health facilities though they are probably ubiquitous. However, unlike some of our patients, they don't stand at the hospital entrance smoking or vaping – perhaps they vape in secret. The consequences of vaping in mice include features reminiscent of COPD according to Garcia-Arcos and colleagues (see page 1119). These effects include: distal airspace enlargement, mucin production, together with … ER -