Table 4

Difference in FEV1 for a one SD or quintile increase in minerals and other nutrients
Nutrient
 Model as
 Model 1*
 Model 2†
 Model 3‡




β coeff
 95% CI
 β coeff
 95% CI
 β coeff
 95% CI
Normalised calcium (mmol/l)
 ≤ 2.23
 reference
reference
reference

2.24 – 2.29
 38.9
 11.9 to 65.9
 41.2
 14.8 to 67.5
 36.5
 10.3 to 62.7

2.30 – 2.33
 68.5
 43.9 to 93.0
 71.8
 47.1 to 96.5
 64.1
 39.5 to 88.6

2.34 – 2.39
 50.3
 19.6 to 80.9
 58.5
 28.3 to 88.6
 50.3
 19.6 to 80.9

≥ 2.4
 25.8
 -6.5 to 58.0
 39.4
 7.1 to 72.5
 29.0
 -1.0 to 52.7







p = 0.001
Chloride (mmol/L)
 Per SD change
 27.2
 17.9 to 36.5
 35.6
 22.8 to 48.5
 40.5
 28.4 to 52.7







p < 0.001
Iron (μmol/L)
 ≤ 10.21
 reference
reference
reference

10.22 – 13.43
 33.6
 8.9 to 58.3
 37.5
 11.5 to 63.5
 23.3
 -3.6 to 50.2

13.44 – 16.48
 68.0
 43.1 to 92.8
 72.2
 46.1 to 98.2
 51.0
 23.9 to 78.2

16.49 – 20.6
 51.8
 29.1 to 74.6
 58.0
 35.5 to 80.5
 35.2
 12.9 to 57.6

≥ 20.61
 70.8
 40.1 to 101.6
 77.8
 45.5 to 110.0
 54.2
 21.0 to 86.4







p = 0.0054
TIBC (μmol/L)
 ≤ 54.98
 reference





54.99 – 60.36
 12.8
 -13.0 to 38.6




60.37 – 65.19
 19.1
 -2.9 to 41.0




65.20 – 71.82
 3.1
 -24.9 to 31.0




≥ 71.83
 -25.4
 -52.7 to 1.9



Transferrin saturation (%)
 Per SD change
 24.2
 14.2 to 34.2



Ferritin (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 3.4
 -5.1 to 12.0



Red blood cell folate (nmol/L)
 ≤ 256.1 256.2 – 326.3
 reference 40.4
 16.9 to 63.8
 reference 41.1
 16.8 to 65.3
 reference 27.4
 3.9 to 51.0

326.4 – 407.9
 33.3
 4.5 to 62.1
 29.7
 1.0 to 58.4
 9.3
 -18.2 to 36.8

408.0 – 555.2
 43.3
 16.9 to 69.7
 45.5
 17.1 to 73.9
 14.1
 -13.9 to 42.2

≥ 555.3
 36.3
 8.0 to 64.6
 34.3
 2.8 to 65.8
 -13.2
 -45.1 to 18.7







p = 0.0207
Potassium (mmol/l)
 Per SD change
 -10.7
 -18.2 to -3.1
 -15.6
 -22.1 to -9.0
 -21.2
 -28.3 to -14.1







p < 0.001
Sodium (mmol/l)
 Per SD change
 6.6
 -0.9 to 14.0
 -10.1
 -21.0 to 0.72
 -13.0
 -24.1 to -2.0







p = 0.022
Total Protein (g/L)
 Per SD change
 -17.2
 -28.5 to -5.9



* Model 1- Adjusted for age, sex, height, smoking (status and packyears), BMI, race/ethnicity

† Model 2- Adjusted for covariates listed under Model 1, as well as for all nutrients with statistically significant associations with lung function in a mutually adjusted model. Number of participants in model = 14120

‡ Model 3- Adjusted for all covariates and nutrients in Model 1 & 2 and additionally adjusted for minerals and other nutrients found to be significantly associated with lung function (model 2) in Table 3. Number of participants in model = 12657

McKeever et al. Respiratory Research 2008 9:67   doi:10.1186/1465-9921-9-67