[Effect of smoking on pulmonary function among patients with pneumoconiosis]

To clarify the effect of cigarette smoking on pulmonary function among patients with pneumoconiosis, we studied the relationship between the smoking index (number of cigarettes smoked per day X number of years of continued smoking) and lung function tests. The value of V25/Ht was significantly decreased with an increase of the smoking index, but there were no difference between %VC, FEV1.0%, AaDO2 and smoking index. Moreover, there was no relationship between pulmonary function and duration of dust exposure. These results show that antismoking campaigns are important among workers in a dusty work environment.