Does emphysema progress even if you quit smoking?

Yes: Unfortunately, we are all slowly losing lung function over time (see diagram) so even if a person with emphysema quits their disease will still progress - however, the rate of decline is vastly different between patients with emphasema that quit smoking and those that continue to smoke (it is never too late to quit!).

Yes: The rate of progression varies by individual, but the process of destruction does slow down with smoking. In some back to levels that would be present if the patient never smoked, in others just at a slower rate. At present, the biological mechanism that leads to emphysema eludes us.

Yes: COPD is a progressive disease.