Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2010 Oct;2(4):254-259. 10.4168/aair.2010.2.4.254.

Effects of Smoking Cessation on Airflow Obstruction and Quality of Life in Asthmatic Smokers

• Jang AS
• Park SW
• Kim DJ
• Uh S
• Kim YH
• Whang HG
• Lim GI
• Park CS

• KMID: 2260386
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2010.2.4.254

Abstract

PURPOSE
Smoking elicits airway inflammation and airflow obstruction in patients with asthma, even after smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking cessation on lung function and quality of life (QOL) in asthmatic patients.
METHODS
Thirty-two patients with asthma who were active smokers were recruited. After education on the effects of smoking on asthma, 22 patients continued to smoke, and 10 quit smoking. All patients were treated with inhaled fluticasone propionate (1 mg/day) for 3 months. We compared forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% FVC (FEF(25-75%)), and scores on a QOL questionnaire at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months.
RESULTS
Quitters showed a greater percent change in FEV1 (19.1+/-6.3 vs. 7.9+/-2.4%, P=0.024) and FEV1/FVC (6.5+/-4.14 vs. 3.5+/-1.5%, P=0.05) than smokers. Both quitters and smokers showed improved QOL scores after 1, 2, and 3 months of fluticasone treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with asthma who quit smoking showed less airway obstruction, suggesting that smoking cessation is crucial in the management of asthma.

Keyword

Smoking; asthma; lung function; quality of life

MeSH Terms

Airway Obstruction
Androstadienes
Asthma
Diethylpropion
Forced Expiratory Volume
Humans
Inflammation
Lung
Quality of Life
Smoke
Smoking
Smoking Cessation
Vital Capacity
Fluticasone
Surveys and Questionnaires
Androstadienes
Diethylpropion
Smoke

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Study design.

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  Fig. 2 Predicted FEV1 (A), FEV1/FVC (B), and FEF25-75% (C) values during inhaled steroid treatment in quitters and smokers.

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  Fig. 3 Percent change in predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, and forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% FVC (FEF25-75%) values in quitters and smokers at 1 month after initiating inhaled steroid treatment.

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  Fig. 4 Changes in quality of life in quitters and smokers at 1, 2, and 3 months after initiating inhaled steroid treatment.

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