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Severity of Kyphosis and Decline in Lung Function: The Framingham Study
Amanda L Lorbergs1,2,3, George T O'Connor4,5, Yanhua Zhou6
1Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, Massachusetts.
Severe hyperkyphosis is linked to faster lung function decline in women, but not men. This suggests managing spinal curvature could help preserve pulmonary health in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Pulmonology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hyperkyphosis, or excessive spinal curvature, restricts chest volume and lung expansion.
- Pulmonary function decline may accelerate with increased hyperkyphosis severity.
- Prospective data on this association is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively assess the relationship between hyperkyphosis severity and pulmonary function decline over 16 years.
- To investigate potential sex differences in this association.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study analyzed data from 193 women and 82 men in the Framingham Heart Study cohort.
- Kyphosis angle was measured from lateral spine radiographs (1972-1976).
- Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was measured via spirometry four times between 1972 and 1988.
Main Results:
- Greater hyperkyphosis severity correlated with a significantly higher rate of FEV1 decline in women (trend, p = .02).
- No significant association was found between kyphosis severity and FEV1 decline in men (trend, p = .20).
- Adjusted mean FEV1 decline over 16 years varied by kyphosis tertile in women (-162, -245, -261mL) and men (-372, -297, -257mL).
Conclusions:
- Hyperkyphosis severity predicts accelerated pulmonary function decline in women.
- The lack of association in men may be partly due to the smaller sample size.
- Interventions to prevent or slow hyperkyphosis may mitigate pulmonary decline in older adults.
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