Pulmonary function studies in healthy Filipino adults residing in the United States.
BACKGROUND
Differences in lung volumes among various ethnic groups are known to occur; however, this has not been studied in Filipinos.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to assess pulmonary function in healthy, nonsmoking Filipinos residing in the United States compared with standards for white subjects.


METHODS
Healthy adult Filipinos, age 18 years or greater, were recruited. All subjects were screened with health questionnaires to exclude those with cardiopulmonary disease. Pulmonary function tests were performed by using forced expiratory maneuvers. Values for FEV(1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV(1 )/FVC, forced expiratory flow from 25% to 75% of FVC, and peak expiratory flow rate were compared with predicted values for white subjects (ie, without a racial adjustment).


RESULTS
Two hundred twenty-four healthy subjects (121 men and 103 women) completed the study. The group means (as a percentage of the predicted standard for white subjects) were as follows: FEV(1 ), 86%; FVC, 84%; FEV(1 )/FVC, 103%; forced expiratory flow from 25% to 75% of FVC, 96%; and peak expiratory flow rate, 107%. These findings are very similar to those for African Americans and other Asians.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that it is appropriate to use an 85% racial adjustment for FEV(1 ) and FVC when interpreting pulmonary function test results in Filipinos.
Lin
F L
FL
Department of Internal Medicine (Allergy Division), Naval Medical Center, San Diego 92134-5000, USA.
Kelso
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013147:Spirometry; D014481:United States; D044465:White People