FEV1/FVC Ratio Calculator

The FEV1/FVC ratio calculator serves as the ultimate tool for calculating the Tiffeneau index. No matter if you want to calculate the actual FEV1/FVC ratio of your patient or you just want to predict the correct values characteristic of their age, ethnicity, and height — you've come to the right place. ✅

Enjoy scrolling to the very bottom — we'll show you how to calculate FEV1/FVC percentage and explain the FEV1/FVC ratio meaning in pulmonary medicine.

If you have any questions regarding our calculator, take a look at two explanatory sections: How to use the tool and FVC & FEV1 predicted — how did we do it?

We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace a professional doctor's assessment. If any health condition bothers you, consult a physician.

We can use FEV1 and FVC to describe different properties of spirometry, the most available and useful pulmonary function test.

Spirometry may be performed when the doctor suspects any kind of airflow obstruction, e.g., asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The test itself is quite simple: a technician will ask you to take the deepest breath possible and then exhale it as fast as you can at the exact moment when they tell you to.

The machine will then measure the amount of air you exhaled during the first second of breathing out and the total amount of air that will leave your mouth. Because you need to take the full breath in at the beginning of the test and then force yourself to exhale it as fast as you can, all the values obtained are called forced:

• FEV1 — Forced expiratory volume in one second.
• FVC — Forced vital capacity.

High values of FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio tell us about the lack of obstruction in the airflow — it means that you're able to "blow out" a large amount of air in a tiny amount of time. A low FEV1/FVC index lets us think not only of the obstruction but also of restrictions caused by the disease of the pulmonary tissue that suppresses the lungs from achieving their full capacity.

For more info on lungs' properties, visit the lung capacity calculator. 💨

• The normal FEV1/FVC index value exceeds 70% — all the results that are beneath this threshold might be a sign of airflow obstruction and require deeper investigation. This situation changes a bit in people over 65 years old: for this group of patients, the healthy results start at FEV1/FVC 65%.

• The correct FEV1 value should be greater than 80% of the predicted value.

• The normal FVC value should be greater than 80% of the predicted value.

Happy with the FEV1/FVC ratio calculator? Don't hesitate to check our other pulmonary tools; let's start with the tidal volume calculator or the PaO2 FiO2 ratio!

Just as easy as it seems! Please use the short summary below in case of any doubts:

1. Choose between calculating actual, real-life ratio, or the predicted values.
2. If you choose the actual ratio, enter the values of FVC and FEV1.
3. If you choose prediction:
   • Decide the study you want to base your calculation on. We have two populations to choose from:
     • American, from 1997; and
     • European, from 2004.
   • Depending on the population, enter all the required characteristics of a patient.
4. Yay! That's it — take a look at your results. 🎉

It's definitely easier than expected — after all, the calculation includes only two variables!

The equation used in our FEV1/FVC ratio calculator looks as follows:

Tiffeneau index = (FEV1 / FVC) × 100%,

where:

• FEV1 – Forced expiratory volume in 1 second, given in liters [L]; and
• FVC – Forced vital capacity, given in liters [L].

FEV1/FVC ratio and index values below 70% are typical for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - COPD (see: the BODE index calculator).

We can distinguish a few stages of COPD, designated by the Tiffeneau index and FEV1 values:

• I — Mild, with FEV1/FVC < 70% and FEV1 > 80% predicted;
• II — Moderate, with FEV1/FVC < 70% and 50% < FEV1 < 80% predicted;
• III — Severe, with FEV1/FVC < 70% and 30% < FEV1 < 50% predicted; and
• IV — Very severe, with FEV1/FVC < 70% and FEV1 < 30% predicted.

FEV1 and FVC predicted values can be calculated using special equations determined during extensive research. We decided to use two different methods:

• As per the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the FEV1/FVC index equation is based on the patient's sex, age and ethnicity.

• The equation found in the European Respiratory Journal is based on sex, age and height.

We used the formulas that correspond with a complete Tiffeneau index instead of operating two different equations that give us percentages predicted on FVC and FEV1 separately. However, bear in mind that such an option is possible, and we'll probably create a calculator on that subject too. 🤓