Effects of occupational exposure and smoking on respiratory symptomatology and PFT in healthy panelists and COPD patients.

A panel of 377 healthy adults and 920 COPD patients aged 30-65 years, is annually interviewed (ATS-NHLI health questionnaire) and performs pulmonary function test (PFT), which includes: FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF, FEF50 and FEF75. Baseline data analysis showed a more significant excess in respiratory symptoms (8.8% to 21.4%) and lower PFT (2.4% to 8.0%) among patients occupationally exposed to dust, than among healthy exposed panelists (-0.7% to 7.7% excess symptomatology and -0.3 to 5.8% lower PFT). Among patients a significant correlation between PFT and degree of occupational dust exposure was found. Significantly lower FEV1/FVC and excess in respiratory symptoms (with relative risks of 2.47-16.38) was present in healthy smokers vs. non smokers as compared with COPD patients.