Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1991 Dec;46(12):907–913. doi: 10.1136/thx.46.12.907

Effect of cigarette smoking on evolution of ventilatory lung function in young adults: an eight year longitudinal study.

M S Jaakkola 1, P Ernst 1, J J Jaakkola 1, L W N'gan'ga 1, M R Becklake 1
PMCID: PMC463497  PMID: 1792639

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are few data on the quantitative effects of cigarette smoking on lung function in young adults. These effects are important in the understanding of the early stages of chronic airflow obstruction. METHODS: A longitudinal study over eight years was carried out to estimate quantitatively the effect of cigarette smoking on ventilatory lung function in young adults and to examine the possibility that the effect is modified by other factors. The study population were 15 to 40 years of age at initial examination, when they underwent spirometry and completed an interviewer administered questionnaire on respiratory health. Eight years later 391 of the subjects were re-examined (38% response rate). The quantitative effect of cigarette smoking during the study period on the average change of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) over time (delta FEV1) was estimated in two linear regression models that included potential confounders and other determinants of outcome. RESULTS: The first model showed a significant dose-response relation between the average rate of smoking during the study period and delta FEV1, giving an estimate of annual change in FEV1 of -0.42 ml for each cigarette smoked per day (-8.4 ml for each pack) (p = 0.04). In the second model, which took smoking before the study period as a potential confounder, the effect of smoking during the study period was slightly smaller (-0.33 ml/year for each cigarette smoked per day). This indicated that smoking before the study period had a marginal latent effect on delta FEV1 during the study. However, neither the effect of smoking before the study nor that of smoking during the study was significant, presumably because of collinearity. Interactions between cigarette smoking and gender, wheezing, atopy, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during the growth period were not significant with respect to their effect on the relation between cigarette smoking and delta FEV1. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking has a dose related adverse effect on the evolution of ventilatory lung function in young adulthood.

Full text

PDF
908

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beaty T. H., Menkes H. A., Cohen B. H., Newill C. A. Risk factors associated with longitudinal change in pulmonary function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984 May;129(5):660–667. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.129.5.660. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beck G. J., Doyle C. A., Schachter E. N. A longitudinal study of respiratory health in a rural community. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Apr;125(4):375–381. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.125.4.375. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beck G. J., Doyle C. A., Schachter E. N. Smoking and lung function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Feb;123(2):149–155. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.2.149. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bossé R., Sparrow D., Rose C. L., Weiss S. T. Longitudinal effect of age and smoking cessation on pulmonary function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Apr;123(4 Pt 1):378–381. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.4.378. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burrows B., Cline M. G., Knudson R. J., Taussig L. M., Lebowitz M. D. A descriptive analysis of the growth and decline of the FVC and FEV1. Chest. 1983 May;83(5):717–724. doi: 10.1378/chest.83.5.717. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Burrows B., Knudson R. J., Cline M. G., Lebowitz M. D. Quantitative relationships between cigarette smoking and ventilatory function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1977 Feb;115(2):195–205. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1977.115.2.195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Camilli A. E., Burrows B., Knudson R. J., Lyle S. K., Lebowitz M. D. Longitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in one second in adults. Effects of smoking and smoking cessation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Apr;135(4):794–799. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1987.135.4.794. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Detels R., Rokaw S. N., Coulson A. H., Tashkin D. P., Sayre J. W., Massey F. J., Jr The UCLA population studies of chronic obstructive respiratory disease. I. Methodology and comparison of lung function in areas of high and low pollution. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 Jan;109(1):33–58. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112658. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dockery D. W., Speizer F. E., Ferris B. G., Jr, Ware J. H., Louis T. A., Spiro A., 3rd Cumulative and reversible effects of lifetime smoking on simple tests of lung function in adults. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Feb;137(2):286–292. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/137.2.286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ferris B. G. Epidemiology Standardization Project (American Thoracic Society). Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978 Dec;118(6 Pt 2):1–120. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ferris B. G., Jr, Speizer F. E., Spengler J. D., Dockery D., Bishop Y. M., Wolfson M., Humble C. Effects of sulfur oxides and respirable particles on human health. Methodology and demography of populations in study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1979 Oct;120(4):767–779. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1979.120.4.767. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fletcher C., Peto R. The natural history of chronic airflow obstruction. Br Med J. 1977 Jun 25;1(6077):1645–1648. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6077.1645. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Higgins M. W., Keller J. B., Becker M., Howatt W., Landis J. R., Rotman H., Weg J. G., Higgins I. An index of risk for obstructive airways disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Feb;125(2):144–151. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.125.2.144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Higgins M. W., Keller J. B., Metzner H. L. Smoking, socioeconomic status, and chronic respiratory disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1977 Sep;116(3):403–410. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1977.116.3.403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Higgins M. Epidemiology of COPD. State of the art. Chest. 1984 Jun;85(6 Suppl):3S–8S. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Jaakkola M. S., Jaakkola J. J., Ernst P., Becklake M. R. Ventilatory lung function in young cigarette smokers: a study of susceptibility. Eur Respir J. 1991 Jun;4(6):643–650. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kauffmann F., Drouet D., Lellouch J., Brille D. Twelve years spirometric changes among Paris area workers. Int J Epidemiol. 1979 Sep;8(3):201–212. doi: 10.1093/ije/8.3.201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Knudson R. J., Lebowitz M. D., Holberg C. J., Burrows B. Changes in the normal maximal expiratory flow-volume curve with growth and aging. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Jun;127(6):725–734. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.127.6.725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Krzyzanowski M., Jedrychowski W., Wysocki M. Factors associated with the change in ventilatory function and the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a 13-year follow-up of the Cracow Study. Risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1986 Nov;134(5):1011–1019. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1986.134.5.1011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lange P., Groth S., Nyboe G. J., Mortensen J., Appleyard M., Jensen G., Schnohr P. Effects of smoking and changes in smoking habits on the decline of FEV1. Eur Respir J. 1989 Oct;2(9):811–816. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lange P., Groth S., Nyboe J., Mortensen J., Appleyard M., Jensen G., Schnohr P. Decline of the lung function related to the type of tobacco smoked and inhalation. Thorax. 1990 Jan;45(1):22–26. doi: 10.1136/thx.45.1.22. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Lebowitz M. D., Holberg C. J., Knudson R. J., Burrows B. Longitudinal study of pulmonary function development in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Development of pulmonary function. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Jul;136(1):69–75. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/136.1.69. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Leech J. A., Ghezzo H., Stevens D., Becklake M. R. Respiratory pressures and function in young adults. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Jul;128(1):17–23. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.128.1.17. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Manfreda J., Nelson N., Cherniack R. M. Prevalence of respiratory abnormalities in a rural and an urban community. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978 Feb;117(2):215–226. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1978.117.2.215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Peat J. K., Woolcock A. J., Cullen K. Decline of lung function and development of chronic airflow limitation: a longitudinal study of non-smokers and smokers in Busselton, Western Australia. Thorax. 1990 Jan;45(1):32–37. doi: 10.1136/thx.45.1.32. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Tager I. B., Muñoz A., Rosner B., Weiss S. T., Carey V., Speizer F. E. Effect of cigarette smoking on the pulmonary function of children and adolescents. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985 May;131(5):752–759. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1985.131.5.752. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tager I. B., Segal M. R., Speizer F. E., Weiss S. T. The natural history of forced expiratory volumes. Effect of cigarette smoking and respiratory symptoms. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Oct;138(4):837–849. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/138.4.837. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Tager I., Tishler P. V., Rosner B., Speizer F. E., Litt M. Studies of the familial aggregation of chronic bronchitis and obstructive airways disease. Int J Epidemiol. 1978 Mar;7(1):55–62. doi: 10.1093/ije/7.1.55. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Vollmer W. M., Johnson L. R., McCamant L. E., Buist A. S. Methodologic issues in the analysis of lung function data. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(11):1013–1023. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90115-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Woolf C. R., Zamel N. The respiratory effects of regular cigarette smoking in women. A five-year prospective study. Chest. 1980 Nov;78(5):707–713. doi: 10.1378/chest.78.5.707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. van der Lende R., Kok T. J., Reig R. P., Quanjer P. H., Schouten J. P., Orie N. G. Decreases in VC and FEV1 with time: indicators for effects of smoking and air pollution. Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1981;17(5):775–792. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES