Abstract

Background:Theroleofpeakexpiratoryflow rate (PEFR) has been emphasized both in diagnosis and management of patients withasthma.Aimsand
Objective:Thepresentstudywas undertakentoderivetheprediction formulaetodeterminethePEFR in normal, young, healthy, nonsmoking Indian population in the age group of 18–25 years.
Materials and Methods: Computerized spirometry was done in 298 nonsmokingfirst-year medical students of both genders. All the data were statistically analyzed and prediction equations for the young Indian population were derived.
Results: PEFR showed significant gender difference. Both heightandweightshowedpositivecorrelationwithPEFRinmales.Infemales,heightwaspositivelycorrelatedwithPEFR,butage showed negative correlation. We formulated univariate and multivariate regression models for prediction of PEFR in the young Indianadults.ThematchedvalueforPEFRwasfoundtobehigherby6%–9%inmalesand2%–25%infemales,incomparisonto previous Indian studies. In males, the predicted PEFR was higher (26%) than Pakistani study group, but lower (1%–8%) than IranianandCaucasianpopulation.ThevaluewasalmostsimilartoAfrican-Americanpopulation.Infemales,thematchedvaluewas foundtobehigher(5%–28%)thanCaucasian,African-American,andPakistanipopulationstudies,butlowerby28%comparedto Iranianstudy.Conclusion:ThecomputedregressionnormsmaybeusedtopredictthePEFRinyoungIndianpopulationofsimilar age group as the study population.