Effects of smoking on respiratory flows in young, physically active adults
Keywords:
spirometry, flows, smoking, physical activity
Abstract
The prevalence of respiratory diseases in Lithuania, such as chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and asthma, has been increasing across all age groups. Similarly, smoking rates among young people in Lithuania are high, with one in five young adults reporting that they smoke. While there are extensive long-term studies on the health effects of tobacco and its strong link to various pathologies, there is still limited knowledge about the short-term health effects of smoking, especially e-cigarettes, among young adults. The aim of our study was to evaluate and compare pulmonary parameters in non-smoking and smoking physically active and non-active adults. Spirometry, a widely used method for respiratory functional diagnostics, was used to test self-reported physically active and non-physically active smokers and non-smokers. The main results show that physically active non-smokers had significantly higher respiratory flows compared to other groups. Additionally, e-cigarette smokers have significantly lower inspiratory flows compared to all other groups. While all groups exhibit normal lung resistance, tobacco smokers have significantly higher resistance compared to e-cigarette smokers. Physically active males who smoke e-cigarettes have a smaller PIF/PEF ratio, indicating enhanced additional clearance due to mechanically stimulated airway flow. In conclusion, these studies provide valuable insights into pulmonary ventilatory function and have implications for understanding the impact of new tobacco alternatives on young people. Physical activity partially blunts the changes in the respiratory system caused by at least two years of smoking e-cigarettes or tobacco cigarettes.
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References
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27. Weiss ST. (2021). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Risk factor and risk reduction. UpToDate 2021. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-risk-factors-and-risk-reduction
28. Zheng T, Zhu Z, Wang Z, Homer RJ, Ma B, Riese RJ Jr, Chapman HA Jr, Shapiro SD, Elias JA. (2000). Inducible targeting of IL-13 to the adult lung causes matrix metalloproteinase- and cathepsin-dependent emphysema. J Clin Invest. 2000 Nov;106(9):1081-93.
2. Chaiton M, Pienkowski M, Musani I, Bondy SJ, Cohen JE, Dubray J, Eissenberg T, Kaufman P, Stanbrook M, Schwartz R. (2023). Smoking, e-cigarettes and the effect on respiratory symptoms among a population sample of youth: Retrospective cohort study. Tob Induc Dis. 21;21:08.
3. Ciprandi G, Cirillo I. (2011). Forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity may be a marker of bronchial impairment in allergic rhinitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 127(2):549; discussion 550-1.
4. Eghtedari F, Fooladi S, Mohammadian Erdi A, Shadman A, Yousefian M. (2021). Investigating the Effect of Expiratory Time Constant on Outcome in Intubated Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure Caused by COVID-19 in Critical Care Unit: A Research Study. Anesth Pain Med. 14;11(6):e119572.
5. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2020). ESPAD report 2019 – Results from the European school survey project on alcohol and other drugs, Publications Office, Available from: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2810/877033
6. Grams ST, Ono LM, Noronha MA, Schivinski CI, Paulin E. (2012). Breathing exercises in upper abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Bras Fisioter. 16(5):345-53.
7. Gravely S, Driezen P, Kyriakos CN, Thompson ME, Balmford J, Demjén T, Fernández E, Mons U, Tountas Y, Janik-Koncewicz K, Zatoński W, Trofor AC, Vardavas CI, Fong GT. (2020) EUREST-PLUS Consortium. European adult smokers' perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes relative to combustible cigarettes: cohort findings from the 2016 and 2018 EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys. Eur J Public Health. 1;30(Suppl_3): iii38-iii45
8. Health of Population of Lithuania, 2020 (https://osp.stat.gov.lt/lietuvos-gyventoju-sveikata-2020/rukymas)
9. Ikeda T, Yamauchi Y, Uchida K, Oba K, Nagase T, Yamada Y. (2019). Reference value for expiratory time constant calculated from the maximal expiratory flow-volume curve. BMC Pulm Med. 11;19(1):208.
10. Kim CS, Iglesias AJ, Sackner MA. (1987) Mucus clearance by two-phase gas-liquid flow mechanism: asymmetric periodic flow model. J Appl Physiol (1985). 62(3):959-71.
11. Kwon DS, Choi YJ, Kim TH, Byun MK, Cho JH, Kim HJ, Park HJ. (2020). FEF25-75% Values in Patients with Normal Lung Function Can Predict the Development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2020 Nov 12;15: 2913-2921.
12. Leving MT, Kocks J, Bosnic-Anticevich S, Dekhuijzen R, Usmani OS. (2022). Relationship between Peak Inspiratory Flow and Patient and Disease Characteristics in Individuals with COPD-A Systematic Scoping Review. Biomedicines. 16;10(2):458.
13. LoMauro A, Aliverti A. (2021). Sex and gender in respiratory physiology. Eur Respir Rev. 8; 30 (162) 210038: 1-16.
14. McIlroy MB, Tierney DF, Nadel JA. A new method of measurement of compliance and resistance of the lungs and thorax. J Appl Physiol. 1963;17:424–427.
15. McNeill A, Simonavicius E, Brose LS, et al. (2022). Nicotine vaping in England: an evidence update including health risks and perceptions, A Report Commissioned by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update
16. Mead J. Analysis of the configuration of maximum expiratory flow-volume curves. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1978;44: 156–65.
17. Miller MR, Hankinson J, Brusasco V, Burgos F, Casaburi R, Coates A, Crapo R, Enright P, van der Grinten CP, Gustafsson P, Jensen R, Johnson DC, MacIntyre N, McKay R, Navajas D, Pedersen OF, Pellegrino R, Viegi G, Wanger J (2005). ATS/ERS Task Force. Standardisation of spirometry. Eur Respir J. 26(2):319-338.
18. Nagelmann A, Tonnov Ä, Laks T, Sepper R, Prikk K. (2011). Lung dysfunction of chronic smokers with no signs of COPD. COPD. 8(3):189-95.
19. Ntoumenopoulos G, Shannon H, Main E. (2011) Do commonly used ventilator settings for mechanically ventilated adults have the potential to embed secretions or promote clearance? Respir Care. 2011 Dec;56(12):1887-92.
20. Okazawa M, Imaizumi K, Mieno Y, Takahashi H, Paré PD. (2020). Ratio of Maximal Inspiratory to Expiratory Flow Aids in the Separation of COPD from Asthma. COPD. 17(3): 230-239.
21. Pursley D. (2017-2018). Effect of Inspiratory Time on PEF/PIF Ratio in Three Oscillating PEP Devices in an Adult Chronic Bronchitis Model. Respiratory Therapy.;13(1):51-54.
22. Qureshi MA, Vernooij RWM, La Rosa GRM, Polosa R, O'Leary R. (2023). Respiratory health effects of e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarettes: a systematic review. Harm Reduct J. 4;20(1):143.
23. Randell SH, Boucher RC. (2006). University of North Carolina Virtual Lung Group. Effective mucus clearance is essential for respiratory health. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 35(1): 20-8.
24. Rebuli ME, Rose JJ, Noël A, Croft DP, Benowitz NL, Cohen AH, Goniewicz ML, Larsen BT, Leigh N, McGraw MD, Melzer AC, Penn AL, Rahman I, Upson D, Crotty Alexander LE, Ewart G, Jaspers I, Jordt SE, Kligerman S, Loughlin CE, McConnell R, Neptune ER, Nguyen TB, Pinkerton KE, Witek TJ Jr. (2023). The E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury Epidemic: Pathogenesis, Management, and Future Directions: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 20(1):1-17.
25. Simon MR, Chinchilli VM, Phillips BR, Sorkness CA, Lemanske RF Jr, Szefler SJ, Taussig L, Bacharier LB, Morgan W (2010). Childhood Asthma Research and Education Network of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity and FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio in relation to clinical and physiological parameters in asthmatic children with normal FEV1 values. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 126(3): 527-534.
26. Sleiman M, Logue JM, Montesinos VN, Russell ML, Litter MI, Gundel LA, Destaillats H. (2016). Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes: Key Parameters Affecting the Release of Harmful Chemicals. Environ Sci Technol. 6;50(17): 9644-51.
27. Weiss ST. (2021). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Risk factor and risk reduction. UpToDate 2021. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-risk-factors-and-risk-reduction
28. Zheng T, Zhu Z, Wang Z, Homer RJ, Ma B, Riese RJ Jr, Chapman HA Jr, Shapiro SD, Elias JA. (2000). Inducible targeting of IL-13 to the adult lung causes matrix metalloproteinase- and cathepsin-dependent emphysema. J Clin Invest. 2000 Nov;106(9):1081-93.
Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
Paparde, A., Gružienė, A., Barvainaitė, A., Budrytė, E., & Circenis, K. (2025). Effects of smoking on respiratory flows in young, physically active adults. Health, Environment and Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Approach, (1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.59476/hesdia.v0i1.697
Section
Articles
