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Smoking and asthma in adults
R Piipari1, J J K Jaakkola, N Jaakkola
1Finnish Institute of Occupational, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
The European Respiratory Journal
|November 2, 2004
Summary
Smoking significantly increases the risk of developing adult-onset asthma. Both current and former smokers face a higher likelihood of developing this respiratory condition.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Conflicting research exists regarding the impact of smoking on adult asthma development.
- A population-based study was needed to clarify the association between smoking and adult asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between current and past smoking behaviors and the incidence of adult-onset asthma.
- To quantify the risk of asthma development associated with different smoking statuses.
Main Methods:
- A population-based incident case-control study design was employed.
- Recruitment included 521 newly diagnosed adult asthma cases and 932 randomly selected controls from southern Finland over 2.5 years.
- Statistical analysis utilized adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Main Results:
- Current smokers exhibited a significantly higher risk of asthma (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.77) compared to never-smokers.
- Ex-smokers also showed an elevated risk (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.12-1.97).
- A dose-response relationship was observed, with increased risk correlating with smoking intensity (up to 14 cigarettes/day) and cumulative smoking.
Conclusions:
- The study findings support the hypothesis that smoking is a causal factor in adult-onset asthma.
- Both active smoking and a history of smoking are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma in adulthood.
- Public health initiatives should emphasize smoking cessation to prevent adult asthma incidence.
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