Abstract

Background Although post-tuberculosis lung disease poses a substantial threat to individuals who have recovered from pulmonary tuberculosis, data showing objective functional impairment in such people are scarce. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate respiratory impairment after pulmonary tuberculosis disease and examine differences in ventilatory defects. Methods We systematically searched Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 13, 2024. We included any study design with data on lung function tests in individuals with a previous diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis versus healthy controls. Outcomes extracted from eligible studies included forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted value (FEV1%), FVC as a percentage of the predicted value (FVC%), and FEV1/FVC ratio. Pre-bronchodilator values were preferentially selected. Random effects mean difference models were used when possible and standardised mean difference where it was necessary to standardise to a single scale (ie, FEV1%, FVC%, and FEV1/FVC ratio). Between-study heterogeneity was estimated with I2. This study was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021248838). Findings Of the 5594 publications found, data from 19 studies were included for meta-analyses, reporting on 75 960 individuals of whom 7447 had past pulmonary tuberculosis. All studies reporting absolute values, using various levels of adjustment or standardisation, showed that previous pulmonary tuberculosis had a negative effect across all spirometric values: FEV1 –0·41 L (95% CI –0·51 to –0·32, I2=90·4%), FVC –0·25 L (–0·33 to –0·17, I2=80·6%), and FEV1/FVC ratio –0·37 (–0·54 to –0·19, I2=92·0%). In those studies, using reference values to derive FEV1% and FVC %, prior pulmonary tuberculosis had a pooled standardised mean difference of –0·44 (–0·60 to –0·28, I2=95·6%) and –0·33 (–0·54 to –0·13, I2=91·3%), respectively, compared with controls. Interpretation People who recover from pulmonary tuberculosis have significantly decreased lung function compared with controls, with FEV1 more affected than FVC, giving a mixed obstructive and restrictive picture with predominantly airflow obstruction. Funding Breathing Matters.