Childhood lung function as a determinant of menopause-dependent lung function decline

Abstract

Rationale: The naturally occurring age-dependent decline in lung function accelerates after menopause, likely due to the change of the endocrine balance. Although increasing evidence shows suboptimal lung health in early life can increase adult susceptibility to insults, the potential effect of poor childhood lung function on menopause-dependent lung function decline has not yet been investigated. Objectives: To study whether menopause-dependent lung function decline, assessed as forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), is determined by childhood lung function. Methods: The Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study, a cohort born in 1961, underwent spirometry ..