People who are 76 and don't have lung disease do have perfect lungs for a 76 year old, and those folks are the ones you're compared to. The deal is that starting about age 20-25 everyone begins to lose lung function, so no one has the lung capacity and function at 75 that they had at 25. We know about how much lung function we lose each year, so that's how the tables are constructed. The problem is that those of us who smoked or were exposed to other contaminants lose it faster than normal folks. Once you quit smoking and your lungs have a chance to recover, you still lose lung function, but at the same rate as everyone else. So, for instance, my FEV1 was 35% when I was first diagnosed and it's about the same now relative to other people; however, I have lost that regular amount you lose over 20 years and eventually that begins to catch up to you. For instance, I know that when I started, I could blow out X liters of air to get to 35%, but now I blow X-20 years and it's significantly less in absolute terms.

The other thing to know is that there are hand-held spirometry machines that are often used in a doctor's office. I have never found the results of those to be consistent with the results achieved in a spirometry test conducted using a lab and a tube connected to a computer.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member ,The pulmonary function test determines all aspects of your breathing, lung volume, capacity, ability to exchange gasses, forced volume expulsion.
Once the capacity is measured, the proportion you are able to forcefully expel in the first second can be measured. The computer will compare you to a healthy 25 year old, you can decide if you want to know that...
The doc will use the figure, along with Body Mass Index, blood gasses results and the 6 minute walk result, to determine the severity of copd.
It does not give a lifespan prognosis, that will be down to how well you look after yourself.
A tip: ask to keep the disposable mouthpiece if it is plastic, it's a good tool for ''huffing'' up mucous...😊🍀

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A MyCOPDT...

I would ask the same question you just asked here but to him and have him sit down with you and explain it. The spirometry test I believe I had to have done at the hospital in order to go to Pulmonary Rehab this test is much more accurate than the one they do in the office.
It’s good to ask lots of questions.
The machines in the offices are not always calibrated.

LOL, @A MyCOPDTeam Member,that's priceless!! And it makes good sense.

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A MyCOPDT...

I've never had a nose clip put on.... As to ''keep going'', remember it's for as long as YOU can, not the nurse. I suspect it caused my hiatus hernia ( I always tried too hard to please).
😊🍀