Self-Reported Smoking Status 10-Months After a Single Session Intervention Including an Education Conference About Smoking Harms and Announcement of Spirometric Lung-Age.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the effects of announcing spirometric lung-age (SLA) on the smokers' self-reported smoking status reported conflicting results. MAIN OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a single session intervention including an education conference about smoking harms and announcement of SLA on the participants' self-reported smoking status. METHODOLOGY: An interventional study was conducted in a cable factory. The intervention included four steps: PowerPoint presentation about raising smoking hazards awareness; general questionnaire; measurement of the anthropometric and spirometric data, and announcement of SLA; and evaluation of the smokers' self-reported smoking status 10 months later (quitted smoking, decreased consumption; stable consumption, increased consumption). RESULTS: Thirty-six smokers completed the four steps. Ten months after the intervention, 11.1% of smokers quitted smoking, 52.7% decreased their consumption by 7 ± 4 cigarettes/day, 30.5% kept a stable consumption, and 5.5% increased their consumption by 9 ± 6 cigarettes/day. CONCLUSION: Providing an education conference combined with announcing SLA motivated 64% of smokers to quit smoking or to reduce their cigarette consumption.

The Effects of Ramadan Fasting on the Spirometric Data of Healthy Adult Males.

The few studies carried out on the effects of Ramadan fasting (RF) on spirometric values present contradictory conclusions. This study aimed at assessing whether RF affects healthy adults' spirometric values. Twenty-nine nonsmoking healthy males ( M ± standard error of mean [ SEM] of age: 27 ± 1 years) who fasted during Ramadan (June 29-July 28, 2014) volunteered to the study. Three periods (before-Ramadan [June 23-25], mid-Ramadan [July 14-16] and after-Ramadan [August 11-14]) were selected for spirometry measurements that were consistently performed 5.5 to 3.5 hours (between 15:00 and 17:00 hours) before fasting break. Assessment sessions comprised following: weight (kg), forced vital capacity (FVC), first second expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal mid expiratory flow (MMEF), and forced expiratory flow rate at the x% of FVC to be exhaled (FEF x%). Spirometric data were expressed in percentages of reference values. Results were analyzed by applying repeated measures analysis of variance. The M ± SEM of weight (before-R: 81.6 ± 2.8 kg, mid-R: 80.8 ± 2.9 kg, after-R: 81.2 ± 2.9 kg), FEV1 (before-R: 99 ± 2%, mid-R: 98 ± 2%, after-R: 98 ± 2%), FVC (before-R: 103 ± 2%, mid-R: 101 ± 2%, after-R: 101 ± 2%), PEF (before-R: 112 ± 3%, mid-R: 113 ± 2%, after-R: 114 ± 3%), MMEF (before-R: 83 ± 3%, mid-R: 83 ± 3%, after-R: 82 ± 3%), FEF25% (before-R: 90 ± 5%, mid-R: 89 ± 6%, after-R: 87 ± 6%), FEF50% (before-R: 94 ± 4%, mid-R: 91 ± 4%, after-R: 93 ± 3%), and FEF75% (before-R: 108 ± 3%, mid-R: 111 ± 2%, after-R:111 ± 3%) were not significantly influenced by RF. To conclude, RF did not bring about any significant changes in the spirometric values of nonsmoking healthy adult males.

Applicability of the Old European Respiratory Society/European Community for Steel and Coal reference equations for spirometry interpretation in Tunisian adult population.

BACKGROUND: Tunisian pulmonary functional laboratories accept the default settings for reference equations (European Respiratory Society/European Community for Steel and Coal (ERS/ECSC1983) offered by the manufacturer even though adult Tunisian reference equations (Tunisian1995) are available. OBJECTIVE: To compare the spirometric profile of Tunisian subjects, according to the two reference equations. POPULATION AND METHODS: Spirometric data were recorded from 1192 consecutive spirometry procedures in adults aged 18-60 years. Reference values and lower limits of normality (LLN) were calculated using the two reference equations. Applied definitions: large airway obstructive ventilatory defect (LAOVD): ratio between the 1st second expiratory volume and forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) < LLN. Small AOVD (SAOVD): FEV1/FVC > LLN and FVC > LLN and maximal midexpiratory flow < LLN. Tendency through a restrictive ventilatory defect (TRVD): FEV1 and FVC < LLN. The spirometric profile, according the two reference equations, was determined. RESULTS: Using Tunisian1995 reference equations, 34%, 7%, 37% and 19% of spirometry records were interpreted as normal, and as having, LAOVD, SAOVD and TRVD, respectively. Using ERS/ECSC1983 reference equations, 85%, 3%, 9% and 2% of spirometry records were interpreted as normal, and as having, LAOVD, SAOVD and TRVD, respectively. Using the ERS/ECSC1983 reference equations, misclassification was worse for LAOVD, for SAOVD and for TRVD, respectively, 68%, 94% and 89%. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the use of the old Caucasian reference equations resulted in misinterpretation of spirometry data in a significant proportion of subjects. This could result in inappropriate diagnosis and/or management.

The recent multi-ethnic global lung initiative 2012 (GLI2012) reference values don't reflect contemporary adult's North African spirometry.

BACKGROUND: The applicability of the recent multi-ethnic reference equations derived by the ERS Global Lung Initiative (ERS/GLI) in interpreting spirometry data in North African adult subjects has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain how well the recent ERS/GLI reference equations fit contemporary adult Tunisian spirometric data. POPULATION AND METHODS: Spirometric data were recorded from 1192 consecutive spirometry procedures in adults aged 18-60 years. Reference values and lower limits of normality (LLN) were calculated using the local and the ERS/GLI reference equations. Applied definitions: large airway obstructive ventilatory defect (LAOVD): FEV1/FVC < LLN. Tendency to a restrictive ventilatory defect (TRVD): FEV1 and FVC < LLN and FEV1/FVC ≥ LLN. The spirometric profile, according to the two reference equations, was determined. Z-scores for spirometry from North African healthy subjects (n = 489) were calculated. If the average Z-score deviated by <± 0.5 from the overall mean, the ERS/GLI reference equations would be considered as reflective of contemporary Tunisian spirometry. RESULTS: Using Tunisian reference equations, 71.31%, 6.71% and 19.04% of spirometry records were interpreted as normal, and as having, LAOVD and TRVD, respectively. Using the ERS/GLI reference equations, these figures were respectively, 85.82%, 4.19% and 8.39%. The mean ± SD Z-scores for the contemporary healthy North African subject's data were -0.55 ± 0.87 for FEV1, -0.62 ± 0.86 for FVC and 0.10 ± 0.73 for FEV1/FVC. CONCLUSION: The present study don't recommend the use of the recent ERS/GLI reference equations to interpret spirometry in North African adult population.