Demographic factors associated with within-individual variability of lung function for adults with cystic fibrosis: A UK registry study.

Background: Lung function is a key outcome used in the evaluation of disease progression in cystic fibrosis. The variability of individual lung function measurements over time (within-individual variability) has been shown to predict subsequent lung function changes. Nevertheless, the association between within-individual lung function variability and demographic and genetic covariates has not been quantified.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal analysis of data from a cohort of 7099 adults with cystic fibrosis (between 18 and 49 years old) from the UK cystic fibrosis registry, containing annual review data between 1996 and 2020. A mixed-effects location-scale model is used to quantify mean FEV (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) trajectories and FEV within-individual variability as a function of sex, age at annual review, diagnosis after first year of life, homozygous F508 genotype and birth cohort.

Results: Mean FEV decreased with age and lung function variability showed a near-quadratic trend by age. Males showed higher FEV mean and variability than females across the whole age range. Earlier diagnosis and homozygous F508 genotype were also associated with higher FEV mean and variability. Individuals who died during follow-up showed on average higher lung function variability than those who survived.

Conclusions: Key variables known to be linked with mean lung function in cystic fibrosis are also associated with an individual's lung function variability. This work opens new avenues to understand the role played by lung function variability in disease progression and its utility in predicting key outcomes such as mortality.