Lung Function and Respiratory Symptoms Related to Changes in Smoking Habits in Asbestos-Exposed Subjects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine respiratory symptoms and lung function (forced vital capacity [FVC] and forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]) as related to changes in smoking habits in subjects previously exposed to asbestos. The study was linked to a smoke-ending program among asbestos-exposed males. Subjects were recruited from a population-based survey, and 231 smokers met for the baseline consultation. The baseline prevalences of cough, chronic cough, and dyspnea among smokers were 68.0%, 44.6%, and 42.4%, respectively. Both smoke-ending (n = 10) and tobacco reduction (n = 52) during the 2-year follow-up resulted in remission of cough and chronic cough, whereas dyspnea was unaffected. When the 2-year measurements of FVC and FEV1 were adjusted for the respective baseline measurements, FEV1 tended to improve in subjects who had quit during the study, relative to the continuing smokers. It was concluded that both smoke-ending and reduction of tobacco consumption resulted in reduction of cough and chronic cough, but not of dyspnea. The study further suggests a possible positive effect of smoking cessation on FEV1, but not merely by reduction of tobacco consumption.

Smoking intervention in subjects at risk of asbestos-related lung cancer

“…A brief medical examination was performed. The results have been reported elsewhere [Waage et al, 1996].…”

Risk Assessment of Lung Cancer and Asbestosis in Workers Exposed to Asbestos Fibers in Brake Shoe Factory in Iran

“…Recently, Bagatin et al 30) using a similar approach, also found a significant effect of lower cumulative exposure on lung function levels in Brazilian workers and role of control measures in reduction of nonmalignant respiratory morbidity in asbestos exposed occupational groups was demonstrated. To remove the interference of smoking with lung function 31) , correlation of cumulative exposure with lung function parameters such as FEV 1 and FVC adjusted for BMI from exposed nonsmoker group, were also studied in this study and found to be significant.…”

“…It must be emphasized that aging of workers even with discontinuation of their employment at brake shoe factory, could be accompanied with higher risk of asbestos relevant diseases. Considering successes of control measures in term of substitution of asbestos as raw material, application of engineering control systems, improvement of work practices in reduction of occupational exposure to asbestos fibers and encouraging workers to quit smoking in developed countries 30,31) , risk management of high risk exposed group could be rationalized.…”

Dispnéia crônica e alterações funcionais respiratórias em ex-trabalhadores com asbestose avaliados para concessão de benefício

“…The criteria used to choose the discriminating instruments were based on the previous use of the instruments in other studies and their operational ease of application (7,8,16,20,30) . The MRC questionnaire and the AMA scales, specifically, are the principal instruments of assessment used in both international and Brazilian clinical and epidemiologic studies (12,20,31) .…”

“…Various studies have been conducted in attempts to evaluate dyspnea in workers exposed to asbestos and its relationship to functional abnormalities in respiration. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining reliable data and the subjectivity of the information, results have varied considerably (3,(7)(8)(9) . The degree of functional impairment in the patients studied appears to be lower than that observed in other interstitial diseases, thereby making physiological reproducibility of subjective patients complaints uncertain (10,11) .…”