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Inhomogeneity of ventilation in smokers and mild COPD assessed by the ratio of alveolar volume to total lung capacity

Ovenholm, Hanna LU ; Zaigham, Suneela ; Frantz, Sophia LU ; Nihlén, Ulf LU ; Wollmer, Per LU and Hamrefors, Viktor LU orcid (2024) In Respiratory Medicine 222.
Abstract

Background: Previous studies have shown that the ratio between alveolar volume (VA) and total lung capacity (TLC) reflects ventilation heterogeneity in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the ratio and its correlation to respiratory symptoms had to our knowledge not previously been investigated in subjects with mild chronic airflow obstruction or without airflow obstruction (normal ratio FEV1/VC). The purpose of this study was to investigate potential connection between VA/TLC and respiratory symptoms, smoking habits and lung function parameters in subjects with normal spirometry and with mild chronic airflow obstruction. Methods: We examined 450 subjects (82 non-smokers... (More)

Background: Previous studies have shown that the ratio between alveolar volume (VA) and total lung capacity (TLC) reflects ventilation heterogeneity in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the ratio and its correlation to respiratory symptoms had to our knowledge not previously been investigated in subjects with mild chronic airflow obstruction or without airflow obstruction (normal ratio FEV1/VC). The purpose of this study was to investigate potential connection between VA/TLC and respiratory symptoms, smoking habits and lung function parameters in subjects with normal spirometry and with mild chronic airflow obstruction. Methods: We examined 450 subjects (82 non-smokers with normal spirometry, 298 subjects who smoked or had smoked earlier but had a normal spirometry and 70 subjects with chronical airflow obstruction) with routine lung function tests and a questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms. Results: This study showed 31 out of 54 subjects with a low VA/TLC had a normal ratio FEV1/VC. Of these subjects, 58.1 % had respiratory symptoms, compared to the group with normal ratio for both VA/TLC and FEV1/VC where 35.8 % had respiratory symptoms (p-value 0.02). Conclusion: This study has shown that within the group of subjects with a normal ratio FEV1/VC, those with a decreased ratio VA/TLC had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms compared to subjects with a normal VA/TLC ratio. These findings indicate that including the ratio VA/TLC in the evaluation of a pulmonary function test assessment might increase the possibility to identify subjects with early or at risk of lung disease.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alveolar volume, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Pulmonary ventilation, Respiratory function tests, Small airway disease, Ventilation heterogeneity
in
Respiratory Medicine
volume
222
article number
107524
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38176571
  • scopus:85182191535
ISSN
0954-6111
DOI
10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107524
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
63892c95-8128-4e1d-983f-9e663dfb2001
date added to LUP
2024-04-12 14:55:32
date last changed
2024-04-26 16:54:07
@article{63892c95-8128-4e1d-983f-9e663dfb2001,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Previous studies have shown that the ratio between alveolar volume (V<sub>A</sub>) and total lung capacity (TLC) reflects ventilation heterogeneity in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the ratio and its correlation to respiratory symptoms had to our knowledge not previously been investigated in subjects with mild chronic airflow obstruction or without airflow obstruction (normal ratio FEV<sub>1</sub>/VC). The purpose of this study was to investigate potential connection between V<sub>A</sub>/TLC and respiratory symptoms, smoking habits and lung function parameters in subjects with normal spirometry and with mild chronic airflow obstruction. Methods: We examined 450 subjects (82 non-smokers with normal spirometry, 298 subjects who smoked or had smoked earlier but had a normal spirometry and 70 subjects with chronical airflow obstruction) with routine lung function tests and a questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms. Results: This study showed 31 out of 54 subjects with a low V<sub>A</sub>/TLC had a normal ratio FEV<sub>1</sub>/VC. Of these subjects, 58.1 % had respiratory symptoms, compared to the group with normal ratio for both V<sub>A</sub>/TLC and FEV<sub>1/</sub>VC where 35.8 % had respiratory symptoms (p-value 0.02). Conclusion: This study has shown that within the group of subjects with a normal ratio FEV<sub>1</sub>/VC, those with a decreased ratio V<sub>A</sub>/TLC had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms compared to subjects with a normal V<sub>A</sub>/TLC ratio. These findings indicate that including the ratio V<sub>A</sub>/TLC in the evaluation of a pulmonary function test assessment might increase the possibility to identify subjects with early or at risk of lung disease.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ovenholm, Hanna and Zaigham, Suneela and Frantz, Sophia and Nihlén, Ulf and Wollmer, Per and Hamrefors, Viktor}},
  issn         = {{0954-6111}},
  keywords     = {{Alveolar volume; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Pulmonary ventilation; Respiratory function tests; Small airway disease; Ventilation heterogeneity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Respiratory Medicine}},
  title        = {{Inhomogeneity of ventilation in smokers and mild COPD assessed by the ratio of alveolar volume to total lung capacity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107524}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107524}},
  volume       = {{222}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}