Twelve Years Spirometric Changes Among Paris Area Workers

Kauffman F (Unité de Recherches de Physio-pathologie Respiratoire de I'lNSERM (U. 68), Hopital Saint Antoine, F–75571 Paris, Cedex 12, France), Drouet D, Lellouch J and Brille D. Twelve years spirometric changes among Paris area workers. International Journal of Epidemiology 1979, 8: 201–212. The effects of smoking habits, socio-occupational factors and respiratory symptoms in the development of airflow obstruction have been studied in a working population of 575 men aged 30–54 in 1960 and surveyed in 1960 and 1972. On average, FEV1, decreased by 47 ml/annum. Apart from FEV1 level, which reflects loss since the beginning of adult life, three factors were independently related to FEV1 slope: tobacco consumption, occupational exposure and social class. The decrease of FEV1 with smoking was dose related and decelerated among those who stopped smoking. This follow-up study ruled against phlegm as a causal factor of early stage airflow obstruction, although its role is not excluded at later stages.