Ventilatory function of healthy, urban, non smoking, Pakistani young adults aged 18–24 years

Abstract

Age may have a different contribution to normal lung function values in those aged less than 25 years, as compared to older individuals. We report regression equations predicting ventilatory parameters in this age group, as none have been reported from Pakistan. The study was conducted on students of King Edward Medical College Lahore, Pakistan. Participants had never smoked and reported no respiratory symptoms. In addition to anthropometric data, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC (FEF50) were measured. Equations predicting normal values of these parameters were derived using SPSS (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) P < or = 0.05 was treated as statistically significant. Of the students, 519 took part in the study. All four parameters correlated significantly (P < 0.001) and positively with height. FEF50 had a negative correlation with age in both sexes (P < 0.05). The correlation of other parameters with age was variable and not statistically significant. On multiple regression, height featured as an independent predictor in equations for all parameters. The contribution of age as an independent predictor of ventilatory function was, once again, variable. Independent variables were retained in the raw form as their transformation did not improve the goodness of fit of the derived equations. Only height and age emerged as independent predictors of ventilatory function. Values derived from the equations presented in this study were less than those for height and age matched white Caucasians. Such differences were greater than the 'Asian correction factors'.

Factors affecting spirometry reference range in growing children

“…Spirometry results give a clue about the level of morbidity and life expectancy. These results help the physician in making a decision regarding the nature of disease, its severity and probable response to medication 4-6. Spirometry just give an overview of general respiratory health in the same way as the recording of blood pressure reveals about the overall cardiovascular health 7.…”

“…Considering specifically south Asia, very few studies have been done to establish a normative spirometry range among children and adolescents by taking age and height as an independent variable 9,10. Among developing countries specially in Pakistan, insignificant number of studies have been done for adult population but none of them reported any of the normative spirometry values for the children and adolescents 6,11,12. Because of this physician are diagnosing the children and adolescents on the basis of Polgar reference values, in which height is an independent variable 13.…”

Αναπνευστική Λειτουργία Σε Μη Καπνιστές Έλληνες

“…Η διαφορά αυτή εξηγείται εν μέρει από το διαφορετικό μήκος του κορμού σε σύγκριση με το ύψος των διάφορων φυλών καθώς επίσης και σε διαφορές στην ελεύθερη λίπους μάζα σώματος, στις διαστάσεις του θώρακα και στην ισχύ των αναπνευστικών μυών(34). Σύμφωνα με κάποιες άλλες μελέτες(111,112) διαφορές στο μέγεθος των κυψελίδων και στο μέγεθος των αεραγωγών σε διαφορετικές εθνότητες, μπορεί να είναι αιτίες που συμβάλουν στις διαφορετικές προβλεπόμενες τιμές. Λίγες εργασίες υπάρχουν σχετικά και η συγκριτική μελέτη των εργασιών αυτών δεν προσφέρει σημαντική βοήθεια, διότι αφορούν σε διαφορετικούς πληθυσμούς και έχουν γίνει με διαφορετική μεθοδολογία.…”