Lung Function in Adolescents Who Smoke
January 15, 1997 2 minutes read
Lung Function in Adolescents Who Smoke
The long latency period between initiating cigarette smoking and major morbidity lulls some smokers into the false security that consequences are distant, rather than immediate. In a recent study, Gold et al examined a cohort of 5158 boys and 4902 girls 10-18 years of age followed from 1974 to 1989 in six U.S. cities for effects of cigarette smoking.
Whereas smoking in the 1950s was predominantly male-oriented, in this trial the prevalence was actually slightly higher among girls (19% vs 17%), though girls appear to smoke fewer absolute numbers of cigarettes.
When compared with non-smoking children, smoking more than 15 cigarettes daily was associated with a 3.2-4.0% lower forced expiratory flow (FEF) 25-75. Even five cigarettes per day was associated with a lower FEF 25-75 at age 16-18, when the girls were reaching their level of maximum lung function. Boys demonstrated a similar, but smaller, impact at the same level of smoking; since their full maturity of lung function develops past the maximum inclusion age of this trial, ultimate impact on maximum lung function is not measurable but appears likely to parallel that of girls, though perhaps to a lesser degree. There was a direct dose-response relationship between the frequency of wheezing and number of cigarettes smoked for both boys and girls.
Cigarette smoking is measurably consequential in the span of but a few short years. Young adults need to know that beginning a smoking habit is to the detriment of their health on a relatively immediate basis.
Gold D, et al. N Engl J Med 1996; 335:931-937.
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