Proportion and clinical characteristics of non-asthmatic non-smokers among adults with airflow obstruction.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mainly develops after long-term exposure to cigarette or biomass fuel smoke, but also occurs in non-smokers with or without a history of asthma. We investigated the proportion and clinical characteristics of non-smokers among middle-aged to elderly subjects with airflow obstruction.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 1,892 subjects aged 40-89 years who underwent routine preoperative spirometry at a tertiary university hospital in Japan. Airflow obstruction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity < 0.7 or as the lower limit of the normal.

Results

Among 323 patients presenting with FEV1/forced vital capacity < 0.7, 43 had asthma and 280 did not. Among the n

SUBMITTER: Takiguchi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5942827 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature