Does trumpet playing affect lung function?-A case-control study

The effect a wind instrument has on lung function is a much-discussed topic with inconclusive data, not least because existing studies combine all wind instruments as one entity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of playing a trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn on lung function.

A prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional, case-control study. Participants were recruited from wind orchestra or brass bands throughout Switzerland. Inclusion criteria: aged 16 or older, reporting at least one year of playing a trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn. Controls were members of an orchestra, who had never played a wind instrument. The primary end-point of the study was the difference in FEV1%predicted between trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn players and controls.

147 subjects were included in the study. Controls (n = 48) were significantly younger, more commonly male, current smokers and had a lower body mass index compared to trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn players (n = 99). There was no significant difference in FEV1%predicted (91.9% vs 94.2%; p = 0.316) or FVC %predicted (89.4% vs 92.6%; p = 0.125) between controls and trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn players, respectively, in crude and adjusted analyses. However, there was a significant negative association between the number of years playing a trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn and FVC %predicted after adjusting for smoking status, gender, and height. Trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn players had a similar amount of respiratory symptoms to controls (questionnaire score 3.2±3.2 vs 2.8±2.4, p = 0.717).

Lung function in trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn players was similar to controls. However, the number of years playing a trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn seems to have an adverse effect on forced vital capacity.