The preliminary exploration of evolution of nonspecific manifestations of pulmonary function in elderly people / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the evolution of nonspecific manifestations of pulmonary function in elderly people.Methods Retrospective analysis of the data of nonspecific pulmonary function(NSPF) on the initial PF testing in elderly people from the same PFT apparatus in Beijing Hospital were collected from January 2004 to December 2012.All the patients with complete clinical data and reexamination at least one time were enrolled into this analysis.NSPF was defined as normal FEV1/FVC and TLC combined with a decreased FEV1 or FVC or both.All the patients with complete clinical data were divided into blocking group,restricted group,NFSP group and normal group according to their PF.The comparison was performed among these groups.Kaplan-Meier was used for analysis of the turnover and outcome of elderly NSPF patients,log-rank test was used for comparing the difference of turnover and outcome and COX regression was used for analyzing single and multiple factors of different turnover and outcome.Results Overall 59 patients were diagnosed as NSPF,with malefemale ratio of 527,the average age of(71.8 ± 8.8)years and at a median follow-up of 4 years.The statistically significant differences in age,sex,body mass index(BMI),smoking status,both the clinical manifestations and chest CT performance at first visit and during the following-up were not found among the groups(all P ＞0.05).The pulmonary functions of NSPF patients were transformed into an obstructive pattern(19.6 ％),into a restrictive pattern(7.6 ％)and into a normal pattern(8.8 ％) in 4 years cumulative incidence rate,with statistically significant in differences(x2 =7.411,P =0.024).An invariant pulmonary function in NSPF patients accounted for 64.0％ in the most,and the second was obstructive ventilation function disability.Monomial and multinomial Cox regression analysis showed that emphysema and bulla in the initial CT scan was the predictor of the change to the obstructive pattern from NSPF during follow-up(HR=4.325,P=0.045),age was the predictor of the change to the restrictive pattern(HR=1.143,P=0.020).And pleural thickening and disappearing of pleural effusion were the predictor of change to the normal pattern (HR =8.889,P =0.018) respectively.Conclusions Most NSPF in elderly people could exist consistently.Obstructive pattern is the maximal likelihood of NSPF changing to the other pattern.Emphysema and bulla in the initial CT scan is the predictor of the obstructive pattern.The change is related with emphysema and bulla in the initial CT scan.