We read, with very much interest, the publication by AKKERMANS et al. [1] in the European Respiratory Journal. In this study they reanalysed data from the first Lung Health Study by forming four groups, based on the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ,0.70 or ,5th percentile, according to the LMS (lambda, mu, sigma) approach. However, we do have some remarks conc...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to wood dust in the furniture industry in a minor industrial estate in Bursa, Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted between October 2006 and May 2007. In this study, a total of 656 persons, 328 woodworkers and 328 controls were included. A questionnaire was used in the study. Physical examination and the pu...

Associations among dust exposure, smoking habits, and demographic factors and longitudinal changes of lung function were assessed among male steel workers. Cohort descriptive data analysis was conducted in 541 steel workers who had performed spirometry at least twice between 1982 and 1991 (mean follow-up, 6.1 years). The annual change (slope) in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC%, and in body weight was dete...

In a longitudinal study of a sample of firemen in London 1006 firemen were interviewed and examined in 1976 and 895 were seen a second time 12 months later. On each occasion a Medical Research Council respiratory questionnaire was administered and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured. The average levels of FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC in both ye...

BACKGROUND Air pollution and obesity are hypothesized to contribute to accelerated decline in lung function with age through their inflammatory properties. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether the previously reported association between improved air quality and lung health in the population-based SAPALDIA cohort is modified by obesity. METHODS We used adjusted mixed-model analyses to estimate ...

The association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and lung function changes in the general population remains unclear.We conducted cross-sectional (n=1220) and follow-up (n=869) studies to investigate the interrelationship of serum 25(OH)D, smoking and lung function changes in a random sample of adults from the Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study, Norway.Lung function was measure...

BACKGROUND An association between body weight in childhood and subsequent lung function and asthma has been suggested, but few longitudinal studies exist. Our aim was to explore whether weight-related anthropometric measurements through childhood were associated with lung function in late childhood. METHODS From an original nested case-control study, a cohort study was conducted, where lung f...

BACKGROUND A concomitant decrease in FEV1 and FVC with normal FEV1/FVC ratio and TLC defines small airways obstructive pattern (SAOP) and constitutes a classic pitfall of pulmonary-function-tests interpretation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of flow- (FEV1 increase≥12% and 200 mL), volume- (FVC or inspiratory capacity [IC] increase≥12% and 200 mL), flow and volume-, and non-response to...

BACKGROUND In the context that accurate measurement of FVC is important in diagnosing airflow obstruction and in assessing restriction, strategies to achieve reliable and accurate FVC measurement have drawn much attention. OBJECTIVES Because the rate of achieving end-of-test criteria during spirometry has been shown to be low, with resultant under-recording of the FVC, the current study propo...

Dietary antioxidants may protect against poor ventilatory function. We assessed the relation between ventilatory function and antioxidant components of diet in young Chileans. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio FEV1/FVC were measured in 1232 adults aged 22-28 years, using a Vitalograph device. Dietary intake was ascertained with a food frequency q...