Hi all,
Just looking to get some feedback on my latest PFT in light of previous PFTs. I'm based in the UK so I don't get to see a pulmonologist until 3-4 months after a PFT. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...
Diagnosis spirometry: March 2022 / age 51
FEV1: 3.18 (87%) - FVC: 5.03 (109%) - FEV1 / FVC = 63%
The same day I was diagnosed, I gave up smoking, gave up work and started exercising 3hours / day, 5days / week. Also improved diet...
PFT 6 Months after diagnosis: September 2022 / age 52
FEV1: 3.33 (93%) - FVC: 5.30 (118%) - TLC: 8.31 (126%)
GAS TRANSFER 80% - TRANSFER COEFFICIENT 68%
At this point I was feeling like all my hard work was paying off i.e. 6% increase in FEV1 in 6 months... I felt much better health wise and my exercise tolerance was better than any point in the last 10 years...
Most recent PFT: 18 Months after diagnosis (12 Months after last PFT): September 2023 / age 53
FEV1: 3.11 (88%) - FVC: 5.11 (114%) - TLC: 7.63 (115%)
GAS TRANSFER 75% - TRANSFER COEFFICIENT 66%
What concerns me is despite my best efforts and continued improved lifestyle diet / exercise / no smoking my FEV1 has dropped 6% in 12 months and my gas transfer has dropped 5%. In fact all volumes are down. I realise this is just a snapshot of 1 afternoon but it's still disappointing all the gains from the first 6 months seem to have disappeared, that's 200ml drop in FEV1 in 12 months... It's worth remarking I had my first covid infection 1 month before the latest PFT I was quite sick, not hospital sick, fortunately I was give monoclonal antibody therapy. Also I have 1x faulty alpha1 gene so just below normal serum levels.
Any advice / opinions especially professional would be greatly appreciated. I don't expect to get down to the decline of a non-smoker but somewhere between a non-smoker and a continued smoker would be nice... 200ml in 12 months seems a bit excessive. I've now been a non-smoker / smoke free for 18 months (since the day of my diagnosis)
Thanks in advance. Regards, Adam