Integer And Fractional-Order Modelling In The Early Diagnosis Of The Respiratory Abnormalities Associated With Smoking And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the forced oscillation technique (FOT) associated with fractional-order models in the early diagnosis of the effects of smoking and in patients with early-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 79 subjects was analysed: 31 controls, 26 who smoked and 22 with mild COPD. COPD caused significant increases in the inertance (L) and damping factor (p < 0.001) and the hysteresivity (p < 0.001). L presented high diagnostic accuracy in the identification of the effects of smoking (99.5%) and COPD (99.9%). This model contributed to improving our knowledge about the modifications that occur in the early stage of COPD. Additionally, parameters obtained from this model present great potential for early diagnosis in smokers and in patients with early-stage COPD.