Pulmonary Function Tests Vary In Different Ethnic Populations Of Pakistan

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to measure the pulmonary function tests in various ethnic groups living in Karachi. Objective: Five hundred and four subjects were included in this study. All subjects were asked to perform spirometry according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines. All the subjects were divided in to six groups according to there mother tongue like Balochi, Punjabi, Pashtu, Sindhi and Urdu speaking sixth groups comprises of Memons, Gujrati, Saraiki and Hazara people. Results: The result of various ethnic groups shows that Punjabis and Pathans have significantly higher values of pulmonary function tests as compare to others. Conclusion: Pulmonary function test were higher in Punjabi and Pashtu speaking people because of their genetic and environmental association and their height. Key Words: PFT, Spirometry, Genetic, Environmental.