Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in an elderly nonsmoking population

Objective: To examine risk factors for chronic airway disease (CAD) in elde rly nonsmokers, as determined by pulmonary function tests (PFTs), and to co rrelate reported respiratory symptoms with PFT measures. Design: An observational survey. Setting: Several communities in California. Measurements: Exposures and respiratory history were assessed by standardiz ed questionnaire, PFTs were performed and prediction equations derived. Results: Significant risk factors for obstruction on PFTs in multiple logis tic regression included reported environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (relative risk [RR] = [RR] = 1.44), parental CAD or bay fever (RR = 1.47), history of childhood respiratory illness (RR = 2.15), increasing age, and male sea. The number of rears of past smoking was of borderline significanc e (RR = 1.29 for 10 years of smoking; p = 0.66), The prevalence of obstruct ion on PFTs was 24.9% in those with definite symptomatic CAD, compared with 7.5% in those with no symptoms of CAD, The prevalence of obstruction was 3 6.0% among those crith asthma and 70.6% among those with emphysema, Also, s ymptomatic CAD correlated with reduction in lung function by analysis of co variance. The mean percent predicted FEV, adjusted for covariates was 90.6% in persons with definite symptoms of CAD, compared with 97.8% in those wit hout it (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Age, ses, parental history, childhood respiratory illness, and reported ETS exposures were significant risk factors for obstruction on PF Ts. Self-reported respiratory symptoms also correlated significantly with P FTs.