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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Norway, ROC Curve, Smoking, Spirometry, Surveys and Questionnaires.
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Is the FEV1/FEV6 ratio a good substitute for the FEV1/FVC ratio in the elderly? Context: To determine the agreement between the FEV1/FEV6 ratio and the FEV1/FVC ratio in an elderly population. The study sample consisted of 3874 participants in a cross-sectional population survey in Tromsö, Norway, aged 60 years or more, in whom acceptable spirometry had been obtained. Mean differences between the FEV1/FEV6 ratio (%) and the FEV1/FVC ratio (%) were calculated according to age, sex, smoking habit, and the degree of airflow limitation. ROC-curve analysis and Kappa-statistics were used to estimate the utility of the FEV1/FEV6 ratio in predicting an FEV1/FVC ratio < 70%. The mean difference between FEV1/FEV6% and FEV1/FVC% was 2.7% in both men and women. The difference between the two measures increased somewhat with increasing age, and was more pronounced with smoking and decreasing FEV1/FVC ratio. The value for the FEV1/FEV6 ratio which best predicted an FEV1/FVC ratio of 70%, was 73%, and a very good agreement was found between these two cut-off values (kappa = 0.86).
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The FEV1/FEV6 ratio appears to be a good substitute for the FEV1/FVC ratio in an elderly population. Final Decision: yes