Pulmonary function studies in healthy Filipino adults residing in the United States

Differences in lung volumes among various ethnic groups are known to occur; however, this has not been studied in Filipinos.

We sought to assess pulmonary function in healthy, nonsmoking Filipinos residing in the United States compared with standards for white subjects.

Healthy adult Filipinos, age 18 years or greater, were recruited. All subjects were screened with health questionnaires to exclude those with cardiopulmonary disease. Pulmonary function tests were performed by using forced expiratory maneuvers. Values for FEV(1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV(1 )/FVC, forced expiratory flow from 25% to 75% of FVC, and peak expiratory flow rate were compared with predicted values for white subjects (ie, without a racial adjustment).

Two hundred twenty-four healthy subjects (121 men and 103 women) completed the study. The group means (as a percentage of the predicted standard for white subjects) were as follows: FEV(1 ), 86%; FVC, 84%; FEV(1 )/FVC, 103%; forced expiratory flow from 25% to 75% of FVC, 96%; and peak expiratory flow rate, 107%. These findings are very similar to those for African Americans and other Asians.

We conclude that it is appropriate to use an 85% racial adjustment for FEV(1 ) and FVC when interpreting pulmonary function test results in Filipinos.