Table 2

 Factors associated with mean annual decline in FEV1 (crude associations)

Variables(baseline values)Mean (SD) FEV1decline (ml/year)p value
*Heavy smokers v any other status (p for comparison = 0.045).
†Tertile limits for FEV1: 1.60–3.125, 3.125–4.025, 4.025–6.02 l/s.
‡Tertile limits for LDL cholesterol concentration: 1.12–1.875, 1.875–2.295, 2.295–3.94 g/l.
Sex
    Male−34.2 (35.2)<0.001
    Female−25.5 (27.5)
Age (years)
    ⩽25−22.2 (26.4)0.007
    26–30−20.8 (28.9)
    31–35−29.4 (26.2)
    36–40−32.1 (30.1)
    >40−33.6 (36.1)
Smoking status
    Never−29.7 (30.1)0.16
    Former−28.5 (33.0)
    Moderate (<20 cigs/day)−27.2 (22.5)
    Heavy (⩾20 cigs/day)−37.9 (46.2)*
FEV1 (l/s)†
    1st tertile−21.8 (34.5)<0.001
    2nd tertile−30.1 (28.9)
    3rd tertile−37.6 (30.1)
BMI (kg/m2)
    Underweight (<20)−23.6 (35.0)0.004
    Normal (20–24.9)−29.7 (28.6)
    Overweight (25–29.9)−34.3 (38.9)
    Obese (⩾30)−46.9 (27.7)
LDL cholesterol (g/l)‡
    1st tertile−24.3 (31.2)0.04
    2nd tertile−31.8 (32.2)
    3rd tertile−32.4 (32.0)