Young Cognitive Function Predicts Aged Pulmonary Function

In this study, we examined whether early adult cognitive ability predicted five different indices of pulmonary function in mid-life. Mixed modelling tested the association between young adult general cognitive ability (mean age=20), measured by the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), and mid-life pulmonary function (mean age=55), in 1019 men from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Pulmonary function was indexed by per cent predicted values for forced vital capacity (FVC%p), FEV1%p, maximum forced expiratory flow (FEFmax%p), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV%p), and by the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (FEV1/FVC), an index of lung obstruction. After adjusting for smoking, pulmonary disease, occupation, income and education, age 20 AFQT was significantly associated with mid-life FVC%p, FEV1%p, FEFmax%p, and MVV%p, but was not significantly associated with FEV1/FVC. [Thus], early adult cognitive ability is a predictor of multiple indices of aging-related pulmonary function 35 years later, including lung volume, airflow and ventilator capacity. Cognitive deficits associated with impaired aging-related lung function may, thus, be partly pre-existing. However, results also highlight that early life risk factors may be differentially related to different metrics of later-life pulmonary health. Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2014-204143
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs