Long-term follow-up of lung volume measurements in initially healthy young aviators

Lung volume measurements on a large number of initially healthy young military aviators (the U.S. Navy's "1000 Aviator" cohort) were recorded periodically in follow-up from 1940-69. Vital capacities were measured spirometrically and total lung capacities were measured planimetrically from chest roentgenograms. Residual volumes were calculated by subtracting the vital capacity from the total lung capacity in each subject. Additional variables available for analysis were cigarette smoking histories, family histories, aviation career patterns, pulmonary symptoms, cardiac disease diagnoses, and anthropometric measurements. Multiple linear regression techniques were used on these variables to construct prediction equations for each lung volume in 1969. From these longitudinal analyses, cigarette smoking and pulmonary symptoms were found to be associated with an "obstructive lung volume pattern in 1969, while coronary artery disease and weight gain were found to be associated with a "restrictive" lung volume pattern in 1969. A career in military aviation had no significant association with lung volumes.