Abstract
Background Published reference equations for impulse oscillometry (IOS) usually encompass a specific age group but not the entire lifespan. This may lead to discordant predicted values when two or more non-coincident equations can be applied to the same person, or when a person moves from one equation to the next non-convergent equation as he or she gets older. Thus, our aim was to provide a single reference equation for each IOS variable that could be applied from infancy to old age.
Methods This was an ambispective cross-sectional study in healthy nonsmokers, most of whom lived in Mexico City, who underwent IOS according to international standards. A multivariate piecewise linear regression, also known as segmented regression, was used to obtain reference equations for each IOS variable.
Results In a population of 830 subjects (54.0% females) aged 2.7 to 90 years (54.8% children ≤12 years), segmented regression estimated two breakpoints for age in almost all IOS variables, except for R5-R20 in which only one breakpoint was detected. With this approach, multivariate regressions including sex, age, height, and body mass index as independent variables were constructed, and coefficients for calculating predicted value, lower and upper limits of normal, percentage of predicted, and z-score were obtained.
Conclusions Our study provides IOS reference equations that include the major determinants of lung function, i.e., sex, age, height, and body mass index, that can be easily implemented for subjects of almost any age.
Footnotes
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Conflict of Interest: Laura Gochicoa-Rangel reports lecture honoraria from GSK, Astra-Zeneca, Chiesi, Thorasys, Vyaire; travel support Chiesi for ALAT meeting 2022; advisory board participation with GSK; and a leadership role as unpaid chief of the respiratory physiology section in the Mexican Pulmonology and Thorax Surgery Society, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of Interest: Rodrigo Del-Río-Hidalgo reports lecture honoraria from GSK, Chiesi; travel support Chiesi for ALAT meeting 2022; outside the submitted work.
Conflict of Interest: All other authors have nothing to disclose.
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- Received July 18, 2023.
- Accepted September 29, 2023.
- Copyright ©The authors 2023
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