Lung test may predict chance of survival
4 October, 2000
A test that measures the amount of air a person can forcefully breathe out in one second, called FEV1, can predict one’s chance of long-term survival, according to a report in the September 2000 issue of the journal Chest.
Lung function tests like this are used in the management of asthma.
In the US-based study, researchers measured FEV1 in 554 men and 641 women and tracked their health progress over the next 29 years. In those 29 years, 55 per cent of the men and 43 per cent of the women died of various causes, mainly heart disease.
The researchers accounted for factors such as age, smoking and weight and still found that those with the lowest FEV1 (worst lung function) were almost twice as likely to die during the study as those with the highest FEV1.
Those with lower FEV1 were more likely to die from heart disease than people with better lung function.
The authors of the study found that we need to better understand the relationship between impaired lung function and disease so we can take preventive measures. They have suggested that this test be incorporated into the general assessment of patients by their doctors.
Last Reviewed: 30 May 2002
- 1. Chest 2000; 118: 656-664.
