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Background: Reduction in pulmonary function, as estimated by forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), has been found to predict all-cause mortality in developed-country populations. This study was designed to examine the association between FEV(1) and mortality in an urban developing-country population.Methods: Data from the large, well-characterized Mumbai Cohort Study (Maharashtra, India) were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs; deaths/100-ml FEV(1)) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from Cox proportional hazards regression models in which age, tobacco use, education, height and relative body weight were controlled.Results: A total of 13,261 deaths occurred in this cohort of 148,173 individuals. After controlling for important covariates, there was a 1.7% reduction in risk of overall death in women for each 100-ml increment in FEV(1) (HR = 0.983; 95% CI = 0.980-0.986) and a 1.5% reduction in men (HR = 0.985; 95% CI = 0.984-0.986). There was a 1.6% reduction in cancer deaths in women (HR = 0.984; 95% CI = 0.973-0.996) and a 0.8% reduction in men (HR = 0.992; 95% CI = 0.987-0.997). The largest reductions in women were observed in tuberculosis deaths (3.7%/100-ml increment in FEV(1)), and in men in respiratory system deaths (3.2%).Conclusions: In a densely populated urban Indian population, FEV(1) predicted overall and cancer mortality. Effects were larger in women and were not attenuated by exclusion of smokers or restricting analyses to subjects dying >2 years from recruitment. Because FEV(1) may be affected by air pollution, which is worsening in urban areas of most developing countries, further research is recommended to deepen understanding of these factors in relation to mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The association between extremes of relative body weight and mortality has not been well characterized in developing countries. A prospective cohort study was conducted in Mumbai (India) to study the association of relative body weight, as estimated by body mass index [BMI = weight (kg)/height2 (m2)], with mortality. Methods Using the voters’ list as the selection frame, 148 173 men and women aged ≥35 years were recruited during 1991–97 in Mumbai city and were followed-up during 1997–2003. Results During 774 129 person-years of follow-up, 13 261 deaths were observed. After adjusting for the potential confounders, increased mortality was observed in all under-weight categories [relative risk (RR) = 1.94 for BMI Conclusion In Mumbai, under-weight was associated with an increased risk of pre-mature death. Despite the growing concerns regarding the gradual transition toward increasing rates of obesity, under-nutrition remains a major health problem in India. This study suggests the need for public health policies focusing on reducing under-nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]