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Spirometry guidelines influence lung function results in a longitudinal study of young adults
Lewis J Smith1, Alexander Arynchyn, Ravi Kalhan
1Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. ljsmith@northwestern.edu
Respiratory Medicine
|January 6, 2010
Summary
Changing spirometry guidelines impact lung function measurements in young adults. Shorter exhalations, common in younger and female participants, can alter results, necessitating adjusted values for accurate lung health assessment.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary medicine
- Epidemiology
- Longitudinal studies
Background:
- Spirometry end-of-test criteria influence lung function results.
- Early studies used shorter test durations (1-2s plateau) versus current 6s minimum.
- The American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines have evolved over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of evolving spirometry guidelines on FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC ratios.
- To analyze changes in lung function measurements in a longitudinal cohort of young adults.
- To evaluate the effect of updated end-of-test criteria on spirometry data.
Main Methods:
- Re-evaluation of spirometry data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
- Application of 2005 ATS-ERS guidelines to historical spirometry measurements.
- Use of generalized estimating equations to adjust for short exhalations.
Main Results:
- The proportion of participants with exhalations <6s decreased over 10 years (33% to 2%).
- Short exhalations were more prevalent in younger and female participants.
- Adjusted FVC was higher for short exhalations (47-110 ml) compared to measured values.
Conclusions:
- Evolving spirometry end-of-test criteria can significantly affect longitudinal lung function data in young adults.
- Lung function measurements may be particularly influenced in younger and female populations.
- Adjusting for short exhalations provides a more accurate representation of lung health in longitudinal studies.
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