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Longitudinal effect of age and smoking cessation on pulmonary function
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|April 1, 1981
Summary
Quitting smoking rapidly benefits lung function. Former smokers experienced significantly less decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) compared to current smokers.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Pulmonary function naturally declines with age.
- Cigarette smoking accelerates this decline.
- The impact of smoking cessation on lung function requires further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of smoking cessation on pulmonary function decline.
- To compare lung function changes in current, former, and never smokers over time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal data from the Normative Aging Study.
- Analyzed smoking status and pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1) in 850 healthy men over 5 years.
- Adjusted for age and initial pulmonary function levels.
Main Results:
- No significant baseline differences in FVC or FEV1 between current and former smokers.
- Former smokers showed significantly less decline in FVC and FEV1 compared to current smokers.
- No significant correlation between years since quitting and the rate of pulmonary function decline.
Conclusions:
- Smoking cessation has a definite and rapid beneficial effect on pulmonary function.
- Quitting smoking can mitigate the accelerated lung function decline caused by smoking.
- The benefits of cessation are evident regardless of how long ago the individual quit.