The effects of cigarette smoking on cardiopulmonary function and exercise tolerance in teenagers

Teenagers who smoke are frequently warned that cigarette smoking will have detrimental effects on the function of their cardiopulmonary system and on their ability to perform exercise. However, there is little published evidence to support this statement. Therefore, in the present study, peak expiratory flow was measured as an indicator of lung function, expired carbon monoxide level was measured as an indicator of current smoking and the associated reduction in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, and blood pressure and heart rate were measured as indicators of cardiovascular hemodynamics before and after a one-mile run in 27 teenagers. The results show that, even at a young age, cigarette smoking is associated with significant detrimental effects on cardiopulmonary function and exercise tolerance. Objective evidence of an effect of smoking on cardiopulmonary function and exercise tolerance in this age group may assist educators and health care professionals in convincing teenagers to quit smoking.