The autumn scenery is pleasant and the academic atmosphere is fragrant. The "2025 Academic Conference of the Respiratory Disease Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society", hosted by the Respiratory Disease Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society and organized by Shandong Provincial Hospital, concluded successfully in the beautiful coastal city of Qingdao from October 24th to 25th, 2025. This conference focused on the diagnosis and treatment challenges and development opportunities of respiratory diseases in the elderly under the background of an aging society. It brought together top experts, scholars and front-line clinical workers in the fields of respiratory diseases and geriatrics across the country. Through in-depth exchanges in one main venue and 12 parallel sub-venues, it created a cutting-edge, practical and richly layered academic event. Comprehensively present the latest progress and future directions in the field of geriatric respiratory diseases in our country.

Group photo of the conference

The main venue offers high-level guidance: diagnosing the development direction of disciplines and mapping out their development blueprints

The main venue activities on the first day of the conference set the core tone for the entire event. At the opening ceremony, Professor Tong Zhaohui, the president of the branch, and Professor Jiang Shujuan, the vice president, delivered speeches respectively. Professors Wang Xiaojuan and Wang Feng of the branch co-hosted the event.

In their speeches, the two professors profoundly expounded on the significant social significance and clinical value of strengthening the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in the elderly. They emphasized the urgency and strategic significance of enhancing the diagnosis and treatment level of respiratory diseases in the elderly against the backdrop of the accelerated aging of the population, and pointed out the direction for the development of the discipline.

During the keynote report session, several leading figures in the field of respiratory medicine delivered academic shares that were both profound and extensive. The content closely followed the pulse of The Times and mainly focused on:

The particularity of respiratory diseases in the elderly: This paper deeply explores the unique challenges brought to diagnosis and treatment by elderly patients due to immune decline caused by aging, multiple comorbidities, and atypical clinical manifestations.

Precision Medicine and Individualized Treatment: Shared the latest breakthroughs in precision diagnosis and treatment based on molecular typing and biomarkers in fields such as lung cancer in the elderly, critical pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease.

New strategies for the Prevention and Control of infectious diseases: In response to emerging and sudden infectious diseases in the post-pandemic era, as well as community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly and drug-resistant bacterial infections, vaccines, new antiviral drugs and comprehensive management strategies were discussed.

Lung Aging and Rehabilitation: From basic research to clinical practice, this paper expounds the mechanism of lung function decline with age and emphasizes the core value of geriatric lung rehabilitation in improving quality of life and reducing rehospitalization rates.

The main venue was fully occupied, with approximately 600 participants. The exchange of ideas was intense, providing the attendees with a broad disciplinary perspective and forward-looking thinking directions.

The sub-forums focus on precise and in-depth development: comprehensively covering professional fields and concentrating on the difficulties in clinical practice

On October 25th, the conference set up 12 parallel sub-forums (6 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon), which pushed academic exchanges to a deeper level, achieving comprehensive coverage and precise in-depth exploration of professional fields, and meeting the personalized needs of participants from different professional directions. Each sub-forum had a distinct theme and in-depth discussions, creating an academic atmosphere of "blossoming in multiple areas"

Focus on Infection and Critical Care: The Respiratory Infection and Respiratory Critical Care sessions focused on key issues such as drug-resistant bacterial infections in the elderly, sepsis, and respiratory support, highlighting the urgency of addressing complex infections.

In-depth exploration of chronic airway Diseases: The Asthma sub-forum and the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease sub-forum conducted in-depth exchanges on individualized and precise treatment of diseases, management of acute exacerbations, and handling of comorbidities, demonstrating the "refined" trend in chronic disease management.

Targeting Tumors and Interventional Therapy: The Lung Tumor sub-forum and the Respiratory Endoscopy and Interventional Therapy sub-forum showcased the full-chain progress from early screening, targeted immunotherapy to late interventional palliative care, highlighting the minimally invasive and precise treatment direction.

Focus on functional disorders and rehabilitation: The Respiratory Therapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation sub-forums, the Respiratory Sleep sub-forum, and the Respiratory Pulmonary Function sub-forum comprehensively covered respiratory support, sleep disorders, functional assessment, and rehabilitation exercises for elderly patients from assessment to intervention, implementing the concept of "full-process management".

Tackling Difficult and Rare Diseases: The Pulmonary Vascular Diagnosis and Treatment sub-forum and the Pulmonary Interstitial Disease sub-forum focused on difficult areas such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis, sharing the latest diagnosis and treatment strategies and multidisciplinary collaboration models.

Cultivating the Future and Hope: The Respiratory Specialty Youth Sub-forum provided a stage for young scholars to showcase their talents. The wonderful paper presentations and case debates demonstrated the vigorous momentum of the discipline's development.

This agenda setting of "setting the direction at the main venue and implementing it at the sub-venues" has achieved full coverage from common diseases to rare diseases, from acute to chronic diseases, from traditional treatments to innovative technologies, and from senior experts to young talents, ensuring that every participant can get what they need and return with a full load.

Build consensus to promote development and safeguard the respiratory health of the elderly

This academic conference is not only a grand event for high-level academic exchanges, but also an important node for consolidating industry consensus and promoting the coordinated development of clinical practice and scientific research. The conference systematically sorted out and presented the latest research achievements and clinical practical experience in the field of geriatric respiratory diseases in our country, pointing out the direction for subsequent scientific research public relations and clinical work. At the same time, it has built a bridge for cross-regional, cross-hospital and cross-disciplinary exchanges and cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the establishment of a national clinical research network.

The journey is long and the wind is strong; with a heavy responsibility, we set sail again. This academic conference won unanimous praise from the participants for its profound academic content and meticulous organizational arrangements. The successful holding of the conference not only provided a valuable opportunity for learning and exchange for colleagues across the country, but also greatly promoted the innovation and development of geriatric respiratory diseases in our country. In the future, industry colleagues will take this conference as an opportunity to transform the wisdom and consensus accumulated into practical actions to safeguard the respiratory health of hundreds of millions of elderly people, and jointly create a new chapter in the cause of geriatric respiratory diseases in China.