Spirometric lung function tests in normal men and African ethnic origin.

Measurements of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec; and peak expiratory flow were carried out in 623 normal Northern Sudanese, Soutehrn Sudanese, and Tanzanian men 17 of 70 years of age. The widely used prediction formular of these parameters for American, British, and Swedish subjects gave significantly higher values than the observed values in this study. From the results in Northern Sudanese subjects, prediction formulas and nomograms were constructed. They were found to provide accurate predictions for subjects from Southern Sudan and Tanzania. It is therefore confirmed that racial variations in the values of these parameters occur. The present prediction formulas and nomograms are recommended for subjects who are of African ethnic origin.