title: Functional alterations accompanying a rapid decline in ventilatory function.
abstract: In a study of two groups of healthy males matched for age, smoking habits, and duration of follow-up, but differing in the rapidity of decline of FEV1 and/or vital capacity (VC), we measured lung volumes before and after bronchodilator inhalation, forced expiratory flows, diffusion capacity for CO (DLCO), and total respiratory impedance. A discriminant analysis showed that the separation between the two groups was achieved best by DLCO, weight, and FEV1/VC among the smokers and by body height and DLCO among the nonsmokers. The fact that DLCO turns out to discriminate between people with a rapid and a normal spirographic decline in the present group points to the possibility of using this measurement, in combination with FEV1/VC and weight, as a predictor of rapid decline of lung function in middle-aged healthy male smokers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Pneumologie, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cauberghs
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Van de Woestijne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013147:Spirometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology*