Genetic and Environmental Influences on Forced Expiratory Volume in Midlife: A Cross-Cultural Replication

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Abstract
Previous research has shown that forced expiratory volume (FEV) is a useful predictor of remaining life in older adults . The present analyses are an attempt to replicate results from a study of Swedish twins which demonstrated substantial heritability of FEV with a sample of middle aged Russian adult twins . Data were collected from 116 pairs of Russian twins (monozygote = 71, dizygotic = 45, mean age = 40.9 years). Phenotypic correlations between FEV , age , gender , height , and cigarette consumption ( in pack years ) were all significant , ranging from - . 72 to . 31 . After the effects of age , gender , height , and smoking were partialled out of FEV , quantitative genetic analyses were conducted . Shared environmental effects were significant , accounting for 47 % of the variance in FEV . Genetic effects , which accounted for about 28 % of the variance , could be dropped from the model without a significant decrease in the fit . These results are discussed in relation to previous research conducted in other countries .