Reduced lung function predicts increased fatality in future cardiac events. A population-based study

Moderately reduced lung function in apparently healthy subjects has been associated with incidence of coronary events. However, whether lung function is related to the fatality of the future events is unknown. This study explored whether reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) in initially healthy men is related to the fatality of the future coronary events.

Prospective cohort study.

Population-based study from Malmö, Sweden.

A total of 5452 healthy men, 28-61 years of age.

Incidence of first coronary events was monitored over a mean follow-up of 19 years. The fatality of the future events was studied in relation to FEV and FVC.

A total of 589 men suffered a coronary event during follow-up, 165 of them were fatal during the first day. After risk factors adjustment, low FEV or FVC were associated with incidence of coronary events (fatal or nonfatal) and this relationship was most pronounced for the fatal events. Amongst men who subsequently had a coronary event, the case-fatality rates were higher in men with low FEV or FVC. Adjusted for risk factors, the odds ratio for death during the first day was 1.00 (reference), 1.63 (95% CI: 0.9-3.1), 1.86 (1.0-3.5) and 2.06 (1.1-3.9), respectively, for men with FVC in the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and lowest quartiles (trend: P < 0.05). FEV showed similar relationships with the fatality rates.

Apparently healthy men with moderately reduced lung function have higher fatality in future coronary events, with a higher proportion of coronary heart disease deaths and less nonfatal myocardial infarction.