of Work: In addition to the project dealing with maximal inspiratory pressure which has recently been published, the BLSA Program in Pulmonary Aging has focused on: 1. Effect of parity on changes in FEV1. Analysis of data from 397 healthy BLSA women, who were divided into younger and older subgroups, were performed. After controling for age, height, weight, and smoking, parity as a dichotomous variable was associated with relatively higher FEV1 in women of childbearing age (p=0.02) but not in the older women. there was a weaker link with the number of children (p=0.05), with the first child possibly having the greatest effect on FEV1. We could not account for the effect on FEV1 by the educational level, occupation, health status of the women, or by the presence of a cohort effect. Thus, the nulliparous state is associated with lower FEV1 in this group of adult healthy women of child bearing age. (Submitted for publication.) 2. Effect of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) on FEV1. The relationship between WHR and FEV1 in BLSA men and women who are either lifetime never smokers or healthy at first visit was examined. After controlling for age, height, body mass index (BMI), and smoking in cross sectionaly analyses, WHR was found to be a negative predictor of FEV1 in men only. Longitudinal analysis of the group of initially healthy subjects using the mixed model showed that BMI and WHR are among the significant predictors of FEV1 in men whereas in women, BMI and not WHR was among the significant predictor of FEV1. A manuscript is being prepared for submission.
