Spirometry in life-long non-smoking, healthy Chinese women in Taiwan

To establish the spirometric values for normal, healthy Chinese women in Taiwan, the spirometry of 506 life-long non-smoking, healthy Chinese women was examined, including 140 subjects over the age of 60 years. Significant correlations among age, height and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC%, peak expiratory flow (PEF), Vmax75, Vmax50, Vmax25 were found. However, there were no significant correlations between age and FEV1/FVC%, nor age and Vmax25 in the elderly group. FEV1 (FEV1*) and FVC (FVC*) were standardized to the overall mean height for elderly women using Cole's formula. The decline in FEV1* and FVC* with age were observed. The predicted value for the average 70-year-old woman with a height of 1.5 m derived from the present study is compared with those from other surveys of the elderly. The values from the present study are somewhat higher than the values from the Hong Kong study. The authors believe the fact that all of the present subjects were life-long non-smokers might explain the differences.     

Spirometry of healthy adult South African men. Part I. Normative values

AIM: To determine normative spirometric values for black and white South African men. METHODS: A population of 796 bank personnel were subjected to spirometry and anthropometric measurements. An exhaustive questionnaire and radiographic screening process was used to identify a healthy population. Spirometry was performed using two calibrated instruments, a sleeve sealed piston spirometer (Autolink) and a bellows spirometer (Vitalograph). The methodological guidelines of the American Thoracic Society were observed. In the regression analysis Mallow's CP statistic was used to identify the best prediction models. RESULTS: Compelling evidence was found in support of incorporating sitting height in prediction equations. For the Autolink studies the prediction equations (based on age, standing height and weight) for forced vital capacity (FVC) (litres) were as follows: blacks: 0.053 height-0.030 age- 3.54; and whites: 0.056 height-0.038 age-3.07; for forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1) (litres) blacks: 0.036 height-0.032 age-1.18; and whites: 0.042 height-0.038 age-1.45. For the Vitalograph the equations were: FVC: blacks 0.048 height-0.024 age- 3.08 L; whites 0.056 height-0.031 age-3.42; FEV1: blacks 0.029 height-0.027 age-0.535; whites 0.042 height-0.036 age-1.84. CONCLUSION: The Vitalograph yielded significantly lower values than the Autolink for FVC measurements despite absolute consistency in methods. In view of the fact that the present study was conducted on healthy men, free from noxious industrial exposure, using state-of-the-art methods, these prediction equations may be regarded as the definitive norms for adult South African males.     

Spirometry reference values for healthy elderly blacks. The Cardiovascular Health Study Research Group

Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry in 497 black and 2,980 white ambulatory elderly male and female participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study. The quality assurance program prompted technicians to exceed American Thoracic Society recommendations for spirometry. A "healthy" subgroup of 235 black and 1,227 white participants age 65 years and older was identified by excluding current and former smoker, and those with self-reported asthma or emphysema, congestive heart failure, and poor-quality results of spirometry tests, since those factors were associated with a lower FEV1. Reference equations and normal ranges for elderly blacks for measurements of FEV1, FVC, and the FEV1/FVC ratio were then determined from the healthy group. These elderly blacks had an FVC about 6% lower than elderly whites, even after correcting for standing height, sitting height (trunk length), and age. The popular use of spirometry reference values from studies of middle-aged white subjects by applying a 12% race correction factor for black patients appears to overestimate predicted values.