Low FEV₁ in Early Adulthood May Be Important in COPD Genesis

While accelerated decline in FEV₁ is not an obligate feature of COPD

THURSDAY, July 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Low forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) in early adulthood without accelerated decline in FEV₁ correlates with later chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published in the July 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Peter Lange, M.D., Dr.Med.Sci., from Copenhagen University in Denmark, and colleagues determined the rate of decline in FEV₁ over time among participants from three independent cohorts according to the FEV₁ at cohort inception and COPD status at study end.

The researchers found that after 22 years of observation, 26 percent of 657 participants who had an FEV₁ of less than 80 percent of the predicted value before 40 years of age had COPD, compared with 7 percent of the 2,207 individuals with a baseline FEV₁ of at least 80 percent of the predicted value before 40 years of age (P < 0.001). Of the 332 individuals with COPD at the end of the observation period, approximately half had a normal FEV₁ before 40 years of age and had rapid decline thereafter (mean decline of 53 ml per year); the remaining half had low FEV₁ in early adulthood and a mean decline of 27 ml per year (P < 0.001), despite similar smoking exposure.

“Our study suggests that low FEV₁ in early adulthood is important in the genesis of COPD and that accelerated decline in FEV₁ is not an obligate feature of COPD,” the authors write.

The study was partially funded by GlaxoSmithKline.

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2015 HealthDay. All rights reserved.