Assessment of pulmonary functions among the elderly in Hangzhou City / 预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the pulmonary functions among the elderly in Hangzhou City, so as to provide insights into the management of respiratory diseases among the elderly. @* Methods@#Permanent residents at ages of 60 to 75 years were sampled from Hangzhou City from November to December 2020. The pulmonary function was tested using a portable pulmonary function monitor, including large airway function parameters [forced expiratory volume (FVC), forced expiratory volume in a second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC], and small airway function parameters [maximum expiratory flow rate at 75% vital capacity (MEF75%), the maximum expiratory flow rate at 25% of vital capacity (MEF25%) and the forced expiratory flow rate (FEF25%-75%) at 25% to 75% of vital capacity]. The pulmonary functions were compared among the elderly with different genders, ages and body mass index (BMI).@*Results @#Totally 314 participants were recruited, including 126 men (40.13%), with a mean age of (68.49±4.47) years and mean BMI of (23.51±2.79) kg/m2. The mean FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, MEF25%, MEF75% and FEF25%-75% were (1.97±0.53) L, (2.51±0.72) L, (79.79±11.47)%, (0.98±0.53) L/s, (3.84±1.65) L/s and (1.99±0.91) L/s among the participants, respectively. Higher FEV1 [(2.22±0.55) vs. (1.79±0.43) L, P<0.05], FVC [(2.92±0.75) vs. (2.24±0.55) L, P<0.05], MEF75% [(4.19±1.82) vs. (3.59±1.49) L/s, P<0.05] and FEF25%-75% [(2.14±1.07) vs. (1.90±0.77) L/s, P<0.05] were tested among men than among women, and lower FEV1 [(1.75±0.46) L], FVC [(2.27±0.64) L], MEF25% [(0.88±0.57) L/s], MEF75% [(3.39±1.45) L/s] and FEF25%-75% [(1.79±0.96) L/s] were tested among the elderly at ages of 70 to 74 years. The proportion of large and small airway dysfunctions was 40.45% among the participants. @* Conclusions@# The proportion of large and small airway dysfunctions was 40.45% among the elderly in Hangzhou City, and poor pulmonary functions were tested among the women and the advanced elderly.