Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function were examined among 89 rubberwood furniture factory workers. Acute and chronic irritant symptoms were assessed, lung function was measured both pre- and post-shift and personal inhalable dust exposure determined. The only symptoms with a significant increase among high dust level-exposed workers (>1 mg/m(3)) were those related to nasal irritation. Hig...

BACKGROUND Studies of the health effects of traffic interventions are rare. The Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS), implemented in June 1999, involved a wide range of permanent changes designed to reduce congestion in the city centre of Oxford, UK. The impact of the OTS on peak expiratory flow (PEF) and respiratory symptoms among schoolchildren in the city is reported. METHODS A dynamic cohort o...

Symptoms of obstructive lung disease in domestic cleaners have been related to the use of bleach and other irritant cleaning products. The short-term effects of cleaning exposures on respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were investigated in domestic cleaners with respiratory disorders. In a panel study, 43 female domestic cleaners with a recent history of asthma and/or chronic br...

BACKGROUND Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) is inversely associated with mortality in Western populations, but few studies have assessed the associations of peak expiratory flow (PEF) with subsequent cause-specific mortality, or have used populations in developing countries, including China, for such assessments. METHODS A prospective cohort study followed ~ 170,000 Chinese men r...

BACKGROUND This study aims to explore the relationship between serum vitamin A and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) levels with pulmonary function and quality of life (QOL) in children with stable asthma. METHODS A total of 117 cases of children with stable asthma were assigned into the case group and 129 healthy children underwent physical examination during the same period into the control gro...

OBJECTIVE This study examined the associations between social network types and peak expiratory flow (PEF), and whether these associations were mediated by social and physical activities and mood. METHOD Nine hundred twenty-four community-dwelling Chinese older adults, who were classified into five network types (diverse, friend-focused, family-focused, distant family, and restricted), provid...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pelvic tilt angles and lung function in participants performing pelvic tilts on a ball. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen subjects participated in this study. While they performed pelvic tilt on sitting at a ball, the peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were measured at 10 degrees of ante...

Abreviations: COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; PEP: Positive Expiratory Pressure; CF: Cystic Fibrosis; Log G*: Mucus Impedance; MCI: Mucociliary Clearance Index; CCI: Cough Clearance Index; PDPV: Postural Drainage, Percussion, and Vibration; IPV: Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation; ACBT: Active Cycle Breathing Technique; HFCWC: High Frequency Chest Wall Compression; ELTGOL: Slow ...

The aim of this randomized, double-blind, parallel group study was to determine the lowest effective dose of 6, 12 and 24 microg formoterol fumarate dihydrate Turbuhaler b.i.d. compared with placebo. The 4 week treatment was preceded by a 1 week run-in period. Morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) before intake of the study drug was the primary variable. Patients recorded PEF, prior to and 15 min ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects that inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and respiratory exercises have on muscle strength, peak expiratory flow (PEF) and severity variables in children with asthma. METHODS This was a randomized analytical study involving 50 children with asthma allocated to one of two groups: an IMT group, comprising 25 children submitted to ...