Isolated small airways obstruction predicts future chronic airflow obstruction : a multinational longitudinal study

• BACKGROUND: Chronic airflow obstruction is a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We investigated whether isolated small airways obstruction is associated with chronic airflow obstruction later in life.METHODS: We used longitudinal data from 3957 participants of the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. We defined isolated small airways obstruction using the prebronchodilator mean forced expiratory flow rate between 25% and 75% of the forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEF25-75) if a result was less than the lower limit of normal (1/FVC). We also used the forced expiratory volume in 3 s to FVC ratio (FEV3/FVC) to define small airways obstruction. We defined chronic airflow obstruction as post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVCRESULTS: Median follow-up time was 8.3 years. Chronic airflow obstruction was more likely to develop in participants with isolated small airways obstruction at baseline (FEF25-75 less than the LLN, OR: 2.95, 95% CI 1.02 to 8.54; FEV3/FVC less than the LLN, OR: 1.94, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.62). FEF25-75 was better than the FEV3/FVC ratio to discriminate future chronic airflow obstruction (AUC: 0.764 vs 0.692). Results were similar among participants of the UK Biobank study.CONCLUSION: Measurements of small airways obstruction can be used as early markers of future obstructive lung disease.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Lungmedicin och allergi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Respiratory Medicine and Allergy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

COPD epidemiology

Lung Physiology

Lungmedicin

Lung Medicine

Clinical Physiology

Klinisk fysiologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)