American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 133, No. 8: 784-794
Copyright © 1991 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate and 5-Year Mortality in an Elderly Population
1Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA.
2Department of Preventive Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA.
Reprint requests to Dr. Nancy R. Cook, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 55 Pond Avenue, Brookline, MA 02146.
During a population survey in 1982–1983 among all community-dwelling elderly aged 65 years and over in East Boston, Massachusetts, measurements of peak expiratory flow rate using the mini-Wright peak flow meter were made on 3,582 participants (80% of those eligible). The average peak flow rate was 315 liters/minute, and a measure of peak flow rate adjusted for age, sex, height, and weight was computed. This was a highly significant (p < 0.0001) predictor of 5-year total mortality, whose ascertainment was virtually complete. The relative risk was 1.27 (95 percent confidence interval 1.19–1.36) per 100 liters/minute decrease in peak flow rate, using a proportional hazards model including terms for age, sex, and smoking. There was no apparent modification of the effect of this measure in various categories of smoking, with relative risks of 1.24 for nonsmokers, 1.29 for ex-smokers, and 1.26 for current smokers. This finding also persisted after adjustments for other covariates, including respiratory symptoms such as cough, phlegm, and wheeze; cardiovascular risk factors such as history of myocardial infarction and stroke; and systolic and diastolic blood pressures; socioeconomic status; scores on simple tests of cognitive function; measures of physical activity and functional ability; and self-assessed state of health. In a stepwise model including all of these variables, the relative risk was 1.16 (p < 0.0001) per 100 liters/minute decrease in peak flow rate, indicating that peak flow rate is a strong independent predictor of total mortality in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol 1991 ;133:784–94.
aged; forced expiratory flow rates; mortality; smoking
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. A. Vaz Fragoso, E. A. Gahbauer, P. H. Van Ness, and T. M. Gill Reporting Peak Expiratory Flow in Older Persons J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., October 1, 2007; 62(10): 1147 - 1151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. W. Sibbritt, J. E. Byles, and C. Regan Factors associated with decline in physical functional health in a cohort of older women Age Ageing, July 1, 2007; 36(4): 382 - 388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. C. Allaire, E. Tamez, and K. E. Whitfield Examining the Association Between Lung Functioning and Cognitive Performance in African American Adults J Aging Health, February 1, 2007; 19(1): 106 - 122. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. G. Parker, K. Ahacic, and M. Thorslund Health Changes Among Swedish Oldest Old: Prevalence Rates From 1992 and 2002 Show Increasing Health Problems J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., October 1, 2005; 60(10): 1351 - 1355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Stavem, E. Aaser, L. Sandvik, J. V. Bjornholt, G. Erikssen, E. Thaulow, and J. Erikssen Lung function, smoking and mortality in a 26-year follow-up of healthy middle-aged males Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2005; 25(4): 618 - 625. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. B. Schroeder, V. L. Welch, D. Couper, F. J. Nieto, D. Liao, W. D. Rosamond, and G. Heiss Lung Function and Incident Coronary Heart Disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Am. J. Epidemiol., December 15, 2003; 158(12): 1171 - 1181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T.-Y. Lan, D. J. H. Deeg, J. M. Guralnik, and D. Melzer Responsiveness of the Index of Mobility Limitation: Comparison With Gait Speed Alone in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., August 1, 2003; 58(8): M721 - 727. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Smina, A. Salam, M. Khamiees, P. Gada, Y. Amoateng-Adjepong, and C. A. Manthous Cough Peak Flows and Extubation Outcomes Chest, July 1, 2003; 124(1): 262 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Bellia, F. Pistelli, D. Giannini, N. Scichilone, F. Catalano, M. Spatafora, R. Hopps, L. Carrozzi, S. Baldacci, F. Di Pede, et al. Questionnaires, spirometry and PEF monitoring in epidemiological studies on elderly respiratory patients Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2003; 21(40_suppl): 21S - 27s. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Tabbarah, E. M. Crimmins, and T. E. Seeman The Relationship Between Cognitive and Physical Performance: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., April 1, 2002; 57(4): M228 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Zureik, F. Kauffmann, P.-J. Touboul, D. Courbon, and P. Ducimetiere Association Between Peak Expiratory Flow and the Development of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques Arch Intern Med, July 9, 2001; 161(13): 1669 - 1676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. F. HANSEN, J. VESTBO, K. PHANARETH, A. KOK-JENSEN, and A. DIRKSEN Peak Flow as Predictor of Overall Mortality in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 2001; 163(3): 690 - 693. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Lennartsson Social Ties and Health among the Very Old in Sweden Research on Aging, September 1, 1999; 21(5): 657 - 681. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Rosengren, K. Orth-Gomer, and L. Wilhelmsen Socioeconomic differences in health indices, social networks and mortality among Swedish men. A study of men born in 1933 Scand J Public Health, October 1, 1998; 26(4): 272 - 280. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. E. Seeman, B. S. McEwen, B. H. Singer, M. S. Albert, and J. W. Rowe Increase in Urinary Cortisol Excretion and Memory Declines: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 1997; 82(8): 2458 - 2465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Thorslund and O. Lundberg Health and Inequalities among the Oldest Old J Aging Health, February 1, 1994; 6(1): 51 - 69. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. E. Seeman, J. Rodin, and M. Albert Self-Efficacy and Cognitive Performance in High-Functioning Older Individuals: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging J Aging Health, November 1, 1993; 5(4): 455 - 474. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|