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Smoking and obstructive lung dysfunction in persons with chronic spinal cord injury
William S Linn1, Ann M Spungen, Henry Gong
1Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, California 90242, USA. linn@hsc.usc.edu
The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine
|July 2, 2003
Summary
Smokers with spinal cord injury (SCI) face a high risk of obstructive lung diseases. Quitting smoking significantly lowers this risk, though more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Spinal Cord Injury Research
- Respiratory Health
Background:
- Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience reduced lung capacity and increased respiratory issues.
- Smoking exacerbates vital capacity loss in SCI patients.
- Obstructive lung dysfunction in SCI smokers remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risk of obstructive lung dysfunction in smokers and nonsmokers with SCI.
- To assess obstructive lung dysfunction using the forced expired volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of outpatient clinical data from New York and Los Angeles.
- Regression analyses examined the relationship between FEV1/FVC and age, SCI characteristics, and smoking status.
Main Results:
- Current smokers in New York showed a significant age-related decline in FEV1/FVC, with 35% falling below normal limits.
- Former and never smokers had significantly lower rates of abnormal FEV1/FVC compared to current smokers.
- No significant age-related decline in FEV1/FVC was observed in never smokers.
Conclusions:
- Smokers with SCI are at an elevated risk for developing obstructive lung diseases.
- Smoking cessation appears to substantially mitigate this risk.
- Longitudinal studies are recommended to validate these findings.