Sex differences in pulmonary function parameters among Indigenous Australians with and without chronic airway disease.

Abstract

BackgroundStudies assessing normative values and sex differences in pulmonary function test parameters (PFTPs) among Indigenous populations are sparse.MethodsPFTPs were compared between male and female Indigenous Australian adults with and without chest radiologically proven chronic airway diseases (CADs).Results485 adults (56% were female) with no significant difference in age, body mass index or smoking status between sexes were included. Females displayed a higher prevalence of radiology without CADs compared to males (66 vs. 52%, respectively). Among patients without CADs, after adjustment for age, stature and smoking, males displayed significantly higher absolute values of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) (mean difference, 0.41L (0.21,0.62), pConclusionsThere are significant sex differences in the PFTPs among Indigenous Australians. Recognising these differences may be of value in the accurate diagnosis, management, monitoring and prognostication of CADs in this population.