Posted by John O. on 7/24/2008, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Re: FEV1s throughout the years."
69.129.197.8
Conni, on the 4/21 test, you blew .67 of a liter in the first second, which was 34% of what was predicted for an "average" person of your age and size. In 2006, your test had two parts: you blew once, then took a puff of a bronchodilator, probably albuterol, then blew again. So your first score was .59 of a liter, which was 29% of predicted; and .74 after the albuterol, which was 37% of predicted. This represented a 25% improvement on the second try. So from the first to second test, you've improved from 29% to 34% if you use the "pre", meaning pre-bronchodilator figure; but decreased slightly from 37% to 34% if you use the post-bronchodilator number. Since you're two years older now, you get a bit of a break on the percentages. That is, a given liter score counts for more. If you were only 40, for example, you'd be expected to do a lot better, and if you didn't, your "percentage of predicted" would be far lower. As I tried to show with listing my records, these ups and downs by a few points are pretty normal for us, and not worth spending a whole lot of time worrying about. on the basis of the numbers you've given me I'd say you are doing pretty well, relatively speaking. And of course, everyone, not just COPDers, loses a little bit of lung function every year.
Responses: