Emphysema can be present when spirometry findings are normal, especially among Black men, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Gabrielle Y. Liu, MD, and colleagues examined the difference in emphysema prevalence between Black and White adults with different measures of normal spirometry results in an observational study. A computed tomography scan and spirometry were both available for analysis for 2,674 participants (485 Black men, 762 Black women, 659 White men, and 768 White women). A total of 6.5% of participants with a race-specific FEV1 between 80% and 99% of predicted had emphysema. The prevalence rates of emphysema in this group were 3.9- and 1.9-fold higher among Black than White men and women, respectively. Overall, 4.0% of participants with a race specific FEV1 between 100% and 120% of predicted had emphysema. In this category, the prevalence of emphysema was 6.4-fold higher for Black versus White men, while prevalence was similar for Black and White women.
