Abstract
Background
Cigarette smoke exposure is the main preventable cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Airflow limitation is closely associated with smoking exposure. Smoking could also interfere with lipid metabolism.
Aim
To determine the respiratory functional and metabolic changes after smoking cessation in smokers in the short term.
Methods
All patients were current smokers. They were assessed by spirometry and questionnaires such as COPD assessment test(CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) test for dyspnea, Fagestrom’s test for nicotine dependence. Exhaled CO was detected in order to evaluate smoking exposure and smoking cessation (normal value<7 ppm). A blood sampling was eventually taken for vitamin D and cholesterol assay. All patients underwent therapy with counselling and varenicline as first-line treatment according to its schedule. Detection time: at baseline and one month after smoking cessation.
Results
All patients quit smoking during treatment. The mean age was 62 with a prevalence of males. The analysis revealed the following mean values at baseline: CAT mean score was 15, pack-years 35.5, Fagestrom’s Test mean score 5.0. The West’s value was 8.5, whereas Body mass index (BMI) was 25.5.Cigarette daily consumption mean value was 22.5. The comparison before and at follow up one month after smoking cessation about functional and metabolic parameters, show us the following results: FEV 1 was increased by 200 mL (p<0.02), FEF 25/75 was improved as well as mMRC test. The eCO was dropped to as low as 8 ppM. Interestingly the vitamin D level was increased from 25 to 28 ng/mL without any support therapy. The cholesterol total level was reduced and CAT value and DLCO were also significantly improved.
Conclusion
Quit smoking is useful to improve symptoms, respiratory function and metabolic parameters in the short term.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank all the patients who agreed to take part in this research. The abstract of this paper took its cue from the abstract that was presented at the XXIV National Congress of Italian Pulmonology as a poster presentation talk with interim findings. The poster’s abstract was published in ‘Poster Abstracts’ in Journal Respiration Hyperlink https://doi.org/10.1159/000531211 with DOI: 10.1159/000531211.
Disclosure
Professor Giuseppe Tonini reports on advisory board for Molteni, MSD, Novartis, Roche, and Pharmamar, outside the submitted work. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.