Vieillissement : quelles normes pour l'Exploration Fonctionnelle Respiratoire ?

The lung function changes as people get older, therefore normal values of respiratory tests must be adapted. Defining normal values aims at identifying pathological situation from “normal” aging. In elderly, vital capacity and thoracic compliance decrease, pulmonary compliance, residual functional capacity and residual volume increased. The loss of lung elasticity leads to a collapse of distal bronchi and a limitation of expiratory flow. These changes are not due to inflammatory or bronchomotor processes, and therefore bronchodilators are inefficient. There are no French normal reference values. Spanish values from Cordero could be used for respiratory volumes. The normal European values are used for respiratory flows; however they are not in full agreement with recent works. In elderly, values are scattered. The clinical relevance of the standards used decreases with age. New values should be collected to set standards based not only on age but also on physical activity, loss of height, dietary status, pollutant exposition… to obtain groups of homogeneous samples of populations.