Development of a spirometry T-score in the general population

Abstract

Background and objective

Spirometry values may be expressed as T-scores in standard deviation units relative to a reference in a young, normal population as an analogy to the T-score for bone mineral density. This study was performed to develop the spirometry T-score.

Methods

T-scores were calculated from lambda-mu-sigma-derived Z-scores using a young, normal age reference. Three outcomes of all-cause death, respiratory death, and COPD death were evaluated in 9,101 US subjects followed for 10 years; an outcome of COPD-related health care utilization (COPD utilization) was evaluated in 1,894 Korean subjects followed for 4 years.

Results

The probability of all-cause death appeared to remain nearly zero until −1 of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV ₁) T-score but increased steeply where FEV ₁ T-score reached below −2.5. Survival curves for all-cause death, respiratory death, COPD death, and COPD utilization differed significantly among the groups when stratified by FEV ₁ T-score ( P<0.001). The adjusted hazard ratios of the FEV ₁ T-score for the four outcomes were 0.54 (95% confidence interval, 0.48–0.60), 0.43 (95% CI: 0.37–0.50), 0.30 (95% CI: 0.24–0.37), and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.59–0.81), respectively, adjusting for covariates ( P<0.001).

Conclusion

The spirometry T-score could predict all-cause death, respiratory death, COPD death, and COPD utilization.