title: Impact of Birth Weight and Smoking on Lung Function in Patients with Asthma, COPD, and Healthy Volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Birth weight (BW) is an important factor for determining the development of the respiratory system. The majority of research analyzed the impact of BW on lung function in youth. BW influence and smoking on lung function in adults with asthma and COPD is an interesting issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate relationships between BW, smoking, and lung function in adult healthy individuals and diagnosed with asthma or COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred seventy-nine subjects were divided into 5 groups: 123 healthy non-smokers, 180 healthy smokers, 72 non-smoking asthmatics, 57 smoking asthmatics, and 47 COPD patients. Relationships between 4 BW quartiles and lung function was analyzed with respect to smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Impact analyzes of BW, smoking, and asthma on FVC% revealed that asthma is the only significant differentiating factor in this spirometric parameter (p < 0.01). FEV1% was significantly influenced by asthma and BW, and FEV1/ FVC% was exclusively influenced by asthma. Spirometric parameters increased proportionally to particular BW quartiles in healthy non-smokers group; however optimal BW quartile predicting increase of parameters was 2751-3250 g. In asthma, BW quartile predicting the increase of spirometric parameters was 3251-3750 g, but BW quartile predicting decrease of FEV1/FVC% was 2751-3250 g. The comparison of results between COPD group and results from other 4 groups showed that values of all parameters in patients with COPD did not change proportionally to all quartiles of BW. In terms of FEV1/FVC%, the proportional increase of parameter in BW quartile 2751-3250 g was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BW, as independent factor influences on spirometric parameters of healthy individuals, patients with asthma, COPD in a differentiated manner depending on quartile of BW rather than on simple linear increase of BW, regardless of smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Panaszek
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pawłowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobek
authors.affiliation: Gedeon Richter Marketing, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panaszek
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obojski
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosińczuk
authors.affiliation: Non-public Health Care Center "MEDICUS", Lubsko, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ichnowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014797:Vital Capacity
keywords: COPD; asthma; birth weight; lung function; smoking