Spirometric reference values for healthy nonsmoking Saudi adults

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Clinical Physiology

Background:

• Spirometry is crucial for assessing lung function.
• Existing prediction equations may not accurately reflect diverse populations.
• Establishing local reference values is essential for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel spirometric prediction equations for healthy Saudi adults.
• To compare these new equations with established American spirometric equations.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 621 healthy, non-smoking Saudi adults (men and women).
• Measured spirometric parameters included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF 25%-75%).
• Prediction equations were derived using age and height as variables.

Main Results:

• New prediction equations were formulated for FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF, and FEF 25%-75% for both males and females.
• The mean measured FVC and FEV1 values in Saudi adults were significantly lower than those predicted by American equations (P < 0.00001).
• Observed differences were -7.2% and -4.6% for FVC and FEV1 in males, and -4.7% and -5.26% in females, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The derived spirometric reference values for Saudi adults are significantly lower than those from American equations.
• This underscores the importance of using population-specific equations for accurate spirometry interpretation in Saudi Arabia.
• The study provides essential data for clinical practice and epidemiological research in the region.