Association of pulmonary function with cognitive performance in early, middle and late adulthood

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary function has been associated with some measures of cognitive performance, mostly in late adulthood. This study investigated whether this association is present for a range of cognitive measures, at three stages of adulthood, and whether it remains after controlling for demographic, health and lifestyle factors. Method: The relationship between forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FEV1), a measure of pulmonary function, and cognitive test performance was examined in three cohorts aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64. Results: After controlling for demographic variables, smoking, physical activity, and respiratory disease, significant associations between FEV1 and cognitive test perfo..