Such_Saturation
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http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201605-0968OC
Going through the menopause impacts the lungs the same way as smoking 20 cigarettes a day for a decade, scientists claim.
Experts say the change accelerates the decline in the lungs' ability to expand and expel air.
This could make middle-aged women who have come to the end of their menstrual cycle suffer from a shortness of breath and fatigue.
Norwegian researchers looked at the forced vital capacity (FVC) - a measure of lung size - in 1,438 women aged between 25 and 48.
They also assessed the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) - how much air can be exhaled in one second.
All of the participants had not yet began the menopause and were followed over the next 20 years.
They found both measures of the lungs' ability to function reduced in women going through the menopause, more so than what was expected.
Going through the menopause impacts the lungs the same way as smoking 20 cigarettes a day for a decade, scientists claim.
Experts say the change accelerates the decline in the lungs' ability to expand and expel air.
This could make middle-aged women who have come to the end of their menstrual cycle suffer from a shortness of breath and fatigue.
Norwegian researchers looked at the forced vital capacity (FVC) - a measure of lung size - in 1,438 women aged between 25 and 48.
They also assessed the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) - how much air can be exhaled in one second.
All of the participants had not yet began the menopause and were followed over the next 20 years.
They found both measures of the lungs' ability to function reduced in women going through the menopause, more so than what was expected.