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Related Experiment Videos

Lung function in West Sussex firemen: a four year study.

K Horsfield1, A R Guyatt, F M Cooper

  • 1Department of Clinical Science, Cardiothoracic Institute, Midhurst, West Sussex.

British Journal of Industrial Medicine
|February 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

This study found no evidence of chronic lung damage in firefighters. Firefighters showed a slower rate of lung function decline compared to a control group, likely due to fitness selection and training.

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Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Firefighting is a hazardous occupation with inconsistent evidence regarding long-term lung damage.
  • Previous studies on lung function in firefighters have yielded mixed results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate long-term lung function changes in firefighters.
  • To compare lung function deterioration rates between firefighters and a control group.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 96 firefighters and 69 control subjects for 4 years.
  • Repeated lung function tests were performed, including vital capacity, FEV1, FVC, PEF, V50, V25, Raw, and AME.
  • Results were analyzed based on the rate of change in lung function variables over time.

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Main Results:

  • Firefighters exhibited a slower rate of deterioration in most lung function variables compared to controls.
  • Control subjects showed more rapid decline in peak expiratory flow (PEF), V50, V25, and airways resistance (Raw) than even smokers within the firefighter group.
  • Alveolar mixing efficiency (AME) did not significantly change in any group, with non-smoking firefighters having the highest AME.

Conclusions:

  • The study found no evidence of chronic lung damage in West Sussex firefighters.
  • Firefighters demonstrated a lower rate of lung function decline with age compared to controls.
  • This protective effect is attributed to fitness selection, physical training, and regular use of breathing apparatus.