OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and onset of action of formoterol delivered by dry-powder inhaler in reversing methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction. METHODS Patients presenting a drop in forced expiratory volume in one second > 20% after methacholine inhalation were included. A total of 84 patients were evaluated. All of the participating patients presented respiratory symptoms of...

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that physical fitness is associated with more successful cognitive aging. METHODS Surviving participants (N = 460) of the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932 were tested on the same general cognitive test at age 11 and 79 years. Measures of grip strength, 6-meter walk time, and lung function (forced expiratory volume from the lungs in 1 second [FEV1]) were assessed...

Effects of breath holdings (BH) on bronchomotor tone, maintained until their breaking points, have been studied using maximal expiratory flow volume curves (MEFVC). BHs have been performed either at high lung volume (total lung capacity, EIBH) or at low lung volume (residual volume +250 ml, EEBH), an inspiratory manoeuvre immediately preceding the MEFVC. The results show that: (1) EIBH induces ...

Using data obtained during the first four complete surveys of a general population sample (2,435 spirometric studies on 916 different asymptomatic nonsmoking subjects), we have derived mathematically continuous equations designed to describe the stages of growth, maturation, and subsequent decline in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC). With thi...

We hypothesised that exposure to workplace aerosols may lead to lung function impairment among cement production workers.Our study included 4966 workers in 24 cement production plants. Based on 6111 thoracic aerosol samples and information from questionnaires we estimated arithmetic mean exposure levels by plant and job type. Dynamic lung volumes were assessed by repeated spirometry testing dur...

Elderly people commonly suffer from dyspnoea, which may stem from expiratory flow limitation (EFL). The relationship between EFL, as assessed by the negative expiratory pressure method and spirometric indices, was investigated in an elderly French population. Subjects, aged 66-88 yrs, filled in socio-demographic and standardised questionnaires, which dealt with: medical history, smoking status ...

OBJECTIVE To describe spirometric reference equations for healthy Brazilian adults who have never smoked and to compare the predicted values with those derived in 1992. METHODS Reference equations for spirometry were derived in 270 men and 373 women living in eight cities in Brazil. Ages ranged from 20 to 85 years in women and from 26 to 86 years in men. Spirometry examinations followed the r...

BACKGROUND Head-of-bed elevation (HOBE) has been shown to assist in reducing respiratory complications associated with mechanical ventilation; however, there is minimal research describing changes in end-expiratory lung volume. This study aims to investigate changes in end-expiratory lung volume in a supine position and 2 levels of HOBE. METHODS Twenty postoperative cardiac surgery subjects w...

BACKGROUND Alterations in respiratory system kinematics in stroke lead to restrictive pattern associated with decreased lung volumes. Chest physical therapy, such as positive expiratory pressure, may be useful in the treatment of these patients; however, the optimum intensity to promote volume and motion changes of the chest wall remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of different in...

The present study investigated how end-expiratory ribcage and abdominal volume regulation during exercise is related to the degree of dynamic chest wall hyperinflation in patients with different spirometric severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification. In total, 42 COPD patients and 11 age-matc...