A Machine-Learning Model for Lung Age Forecasting by Analyzing Exhalations

Spirometers are important devices for following up patients with respiratory diseases. These are mainly located only at hospitals, with all the disadvantages that this can entail. This limits their use and consequently, the supervision of patients. Research efforts focus on providing digital alternatives to spirometers. Although less accurate, the authors claim they are cheaper and usable by many more people worldwide at any given time and place. In order to further popularize the use of spirometers even more, we are interested in also providing user-friendly lung-capacity metrics instead of the traditional-spirometry ones. The main objective, which is also the main contribution of this research, is to obtain a person’s lung age by analyzing the properties of their exhalation by means of a machine-learning method. To perform this study, 188 samples of blowing sounds were used. These were taken from 91 males (48.4%) and 97 females (51.6%) aged between 17 and 67. A total of 42 spirometer and frequency-like features, including gender, were used. Traditional machine-learning algorithms used in voice recognition applied to the most significant features were used. We found that the best classification algorithm was the Quadratic Linear Discriminant algorithm when no distinction was made between gender. By splitting the corpus into age groups of 5 consecutive years, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of, respectively, 94.69%, 94.45% and 99.45% were found. Features in the audio of users’ expiration that allowed them to be classified by their corresponding lung age group of 5 years were successfully detected. Our methodology can become a reliable tool for use with mobile devices to detect lung abnormalities or diseases.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under contract PID2020-113614RB-C22

The Efficacy of Spirometry as a Screening Tool in Detection of Air Flow Obstruction

Background/Objectives: In developing countries, spirometry has not been considered a part of routine medical check-up. The purpose of the study was to establish the usefulness of spirometry as a primary screening tool in detecting air flow obstruction (AFO) during routine medical check-up (RMC). Methods: This was a hospital based, retrospective, non-randomized case series study of 3696 participants, who presented to hospital for routine medical check-up. All subjects were assisted at the Pulmonary Medicine Department, from January 2003 till December 2008 who, having met other inclusion criteria, underwent spirometry. Data were analyzed using proportion, group means, standard deviations and Pearson Chi Square test. Results: The overall yield from spirometry in detecting AFO was 211 patients (5.7%); 174 males (6.1%) and 37 females (4.4%) (P=0.158, Pearson Chi Square test). Greater age at presentation and BMI correlated significantly with AFO in the target group (P=\u3c0.001; P=\u3c0.005) respectively. Dyspnoea was the most frequent symptomatology observed in those diagnosed with AFO. Conclusion: These results suggest that spirometry during RMC for all persons can detect a significant number of patients with AFO particularly among the middle and older age groups with a low BMI

Spirometric testing on World COPD Day

Tanja Grzetic-Romcevic1 Boris Devcic2 Silvana Sonc11Department of Pneumonology, Hospital Sezana, Sezana, Slovenia; 2Clinical Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, University Clinical Center, Ljubljana, SloveniaBackground: To determine the importance of spirometric testing for early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods: Spirometric testing has been performed annually on World COPD Day in Sezana from 2003. Sezana is in a semiurban region of Slovenia, with 12,000 inhabitants. The investigation was performed between January 2003 and December 2008. In total, 770 persons were enrolled (414 females and 356 males). The participants were recruited by mass media appeals. Smokers aged ≥40 years with a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years were invited to visit the local chest clinic. The participants completed a questionnaire and had spirometry performed. Subjects with a postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity <0.70 were defined as having COPD, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines.Results: We identified that 16.2% of subjects had impaired lung function. Of these, 10.2% had an obstructive pattern of ventilatory impairment and 6% had a restrictive pattern. We identified 79 individuals with COPD. Subjects with COPD were >70 years in 40.5% in cases. The majority of individuals with COPD were men (74.6%), and 90% were smokers. COPD was mild in 52% of subjects, moderate in 34%, and severe in 14%. The majority of subjects had a milder stage of the disease, and 92% of those with COPD (72/79) had not been recognized to have COPD previously.Conclusion: These results suggest that spirometry testing could detect patients with COPD in the earlier stages of the disease.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, epidemiology, smoking, spirometry&nbsp

Effect of inspiratory pressure support on exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Title: Effect of inspiratory pressure support on exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Purpose: This study examined the effects of a non-invasive ventilator on submaximal and maximal exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Fourteen men (66.0 ± 7.4yr) and six women (59.0 ± 7.4yr) with a diagnosis of COPD, a forced expiratory volume! (FEVi) <40%, and the ability to tolerate 12 cmH20 of pressure on a non- invasive ventilator performed two maximal exercise tests on a cycle ergometer, with and without ventilatory assistance prior to exercise. Blood samples, respiratory metabolic measures, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were obtained throughout each exercise test. Results: Peak work rate (W), total exercise time, and respiratory rate were higher (p<0.05) when exercise was preceded by ventilatory support compared to no support. There was no difference in peak oxygen uptake (V02), carbon dioxide (VC02,), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE), tidal volume (VT), blood lactate or RPE between the two experimental conditions. A total of 12 subjects completed at least 5 stages of the exercise protocol, and their physiological response during exercise with NIV and without NIV were compared. RPE was significantly lower during the first 3 min in the NIV condition than the no NIV condition. Circulating levels of blood lactate were lower (p<0.01) during stage 3 in the NIV than the than no NIV condition. There was no difference in RR, VT, HR, %HR, VE, V 0 2and %V02 between the two experimental conditions during sub maximal exercise. Conclusions: Application of non-invasive ventilatory support prior to exercise improves maximal exercise performance, but has no effect on cardio-metabolic response during submaximal exercise in patients with COPD

THE IMPACT OF BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE ON LUNG VOLUMES IN THE ADULT POPULATION

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the impact of Body Mass Index and Waist. The circumference on Pulmonary Function Test spirometry parameters such as FVC, FEV1, PEF and FEF25–75% in the adult population. METHODS: Twenty-five adult participants (aged between 18 and 50 years) were involved in this study. The participants completed a questionnaire about their weight, height, gender, waist circumference, and medical history. The height, weight, and waist circumferences were obtained in the pulmonary function test lab. Subjects were instructed to perform at least three acceptable forced vital capacity maneuvers by spirometry to meet the acceptability criteria for the American thoracic society (ATS) testing standards; the FVC and FEV1 maneuvers should be within 150 ml for the subject to meet the repeatability criteria. The Body mass index was calculated for all subjects. RESULTS: The result shows no significant impact of BMI on FVC, FEV1, PEFR, or FEF 25–75% (P values = 0.056, 0.419, 0.413, 0.843, respectively and r values = 0.4, 0.2, -0.2, -0.04, respectively). Also, there was no significant impact found between WC and FVC, FEV1, PEFR, or FEF 25–75% (P values= 0.397, 0.920, 0.359, 0.727 respectively and r values= 0.2, -0.02, -0.2, -0.1, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study found no significant correlation between BMI and spirometric values (FVC, FEV1, PEFR, or FEF 25–75% ), and no correlation found between WC and spirometric values (FVC, FEV1, PEFR, or FEF25–75%)

Lung function decline in relation to diagnostic criteria for airflow obstruction in respiratory symptomatic subjects

Contains fulltext : 108583.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Current COPD guidelines advocate a fixed < 0.70 FEV1/FVC cutpoint to define airflow obstruction. We compared rate of lung function decline in respiratory symptomatic 40+ subjects who were 'obstructive' or 'non-obstructive' according to the fixed and/or age and gender specific lower limit of normal (LLN) FEV1/FVC cutpoints. METHODS: We studied 3,324 respiratory symptomatic subjects referred to primary care diagnostic centres for spirometry. The cohort was subdivided into four categories based on presence or absence of obstruction according to the fixed and LLN FEV1/FVC cutpoints. Postbronchodilator FEV1 decline served as primary outcome to compare subjects between the respective categories. RESULTS: 918 subjects were obstructive according to the fixed FEV1/FVC cutpoint; 389 (42%) of them were non-obstructive according to the LLN cutpoint. In smokers, postbronchodilator FEV1 decline was 21 (SE 3) ml/year in those non-obstructive according to both cutpoints, 21 (7) ml/year in those obstructive according to the fixed but not according to the LLN cutpoint, and 50 (5) ml/year in those obstructive according to both cutpoints (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: This study showed that respiratory symptomatic 40+ smokers and non-smokers who show FEV1/FVC values below the fixed 0.70 cutpoint but above their age/gender specific LLN value did not show accelerated FEV1 decline, in contrast with those showing FEV1/FVC values below their LLN cutpoint