CHEST 2006 ABSTRACT BRIEFS
EMBARGO: Each Abstract is Embargoed Until the Day/Time Listed Below Title
Smoking COPD Progression More Rapid in Smokers
(Monday, October 23, 2006, 4:30 PM EST)
Patients with COPD, who continue to smoke, have the worst disease prognosis, according to a new study. Researchers from Illinois and Massachusetts collected the pyrometer data of 538 participants from the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were categorized according to Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages at the beginning and end of 12 years, and smoking status, age, and gender were used to estimate disease progression. Participants were categorized as never smokers (16.1%), always smokers (42.5%), and intermittent smokers (37.6%). When stratified by smoking status, always smokers were shown more likely to have disease progression, having the lowest proportion of patients in the same GOLD stage at baseline and 12 years.
Exercise May Help Smokers Quit
(Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 4:30 PM EST)
According to Austrian researchers, exercise-training therapy is an effective smoking cessation aid without side effects. The new study examined whether exercise-based interventions combined with a smoking cessation program are more effective than a cessation program alone. Sixty-eight smokers participated and were randomly given either nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine replacement therapy with exercise training for three months. Forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and exhaled carbon monoxide were measured. While significant cigarette cessation was achieved in both groups, 80 percent in exercise training quit smoking, compared with 52 percent in the nicotine replacement therapy group. Researchers conclude that exercise training together with nicotine replacement therapy is feasible and aid smoking cessation.
Stressful Events Should Not Prohibit Smoking Cessation
(Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 4:30 PM EST)
Stressful life events do not decrease a smoker’s chances of quitting the habit, a new study reveals. Researchers from North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems examined the impact of stressful life events in 1,330 smokers being treated for tobacco dependence. Self-reported information, including medical history, quitting obstacles, quit attempts, and current major stressors, were gathered on day one, via questionnaires. Using a carbon monoxide monitor, quit status was determined at 30 days and one year. Forty-one percent of smokers experienced one or more major stressful events during treatment, such as change in marital status and change in job. Though stressed smokers were more likely to “light up when upset” at 30 days, 50 percent quit, compared with 60 percent of nonstressed smokers. At the one-year mark, there was no difference shown in quit success. Researchers conclude that many smokers who reported major stressful event during treatment were able to successfully quit; therefore, stressful life events should not be a smoking cessation obstacle.
Chronic Cough and Sputum Linked to Secondhand Smoke
(Wednesday, October 25, 2006, 2:30 PM EST)
According to a new study, secondhand smoking is associated with chronic cough and sputum production. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, studied the association of secondhand smoking and respiratory symptoms in 139 patients from a Veterans’ Administration Medical Center who underwent left ventricular ejection fraction measurements for clinical reasons. The presence of chronic cough, sputum production, and secondhand smoking, and association between the three were evaluated. Compared with controls, secondhand smokers showed a significant association with chronic sputum production and also showed a trend toward an increased prevalence of cough. Clinical implications suggest that secondhand smoking has a deleterious effect on lung function.
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