The change of lung capacity in elderly women caused by life span.
Jaeseok Lee, Taewook Kang, Yundong Yeo and 1 others
PMID 28533605WHAT IT FOUND
Non-smoking women with no lung disease history in older age groups had lower lung capacity and airflow than younger age groups.
This gives reference values, not proof exercise works.
Key findings
01Among non-smoking women with no lung disease history, forced vital capacity averaged 2.43 liters in women aged 60 to 69, 2.11 liters in women aged 70 to 79, and 1.57 liters in women aged 80 to 89.
02Among the same women, forced expiratory volume in one second averaged 1.98 liters in women aged 60 to 69, 1.69 liters in women aged 70 to 79, and 1.31 liters in women aged 80 to 89.
03Among the same women, peak expiratory flow averaged 4.75 in women aged 60 to 69, 4.05 in women aged 70 to 79, and 3.07 in women aged 80 to 89.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included only women, so it does not show what happens in men. Participants were non-smokers with no lung disease history, so the findings do not apply to patients with COPD or other respiratory conditions. The oldest age group had the smallest number of participants, so its estimates are less reliable. The study compared different women in different age bands at one time, so it cannot show how one woman's lung capacity changes as she ages. The paper did not test an exercise intervention, so it cannot support claims that exercise prevents age-related decline.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the age-group differences as evidence that exercise can improve lung capacity. The study measured non-smoking women with no lung disease history at one time and did not test any exercise program.