04670nas a2200577 4500008004100000022001400041245014000055210006900195260001200264300001000276490000600286520303600292653001003328653000903338653002503347653001503372653001103387653002203398653001103420653000903431653000903440653001603449653005303465653001603518653004003534653001203574653001203586653001503598653001803613653001603631100002603647700002203673700002003695700002503715700001803740700002103758700002203779700002103801700001703822700002203839700002403861700002003885700002503905700002003930700002403950700002403974700002003998700002004018700001804038856003604056 2020 eng d a2213-261900aLung function decline in former smokers and low-intensity current smokers: a secondary data analysis of the NHLBI Pooled Cohorts Study.0 aLung function decline in former smokers and lowintensity current c2020 01 a34-440 v83 a

BACKGROUND: Former smokers now outnumber current smokers in many developed countries, and current smokers are smoking fewer cigarettes per day. Some data suggest that lung function decline normalises with smoking cessation; however, mechanistic studies suggest that lung function decline could continue. We hypothesised that former smokers and low-intensity current smokers have accelerated lung function decline compared with never-smokers, including among those without prevalent lung disease.

METHODS: We used data on six US population-based cohorts included in the NHLBI Pooled Cohort Study. We restricted the sample to participants with valid spirometry at two or more exams. Two cohorts recruited younger adults (≥17 years), two recruited middle-aged and older adults (≥45 years), and two recruited only elderly adults (≥65 years) with examinations done between 1983 and 2014. FEV decline in sustained former smokers and current smokers was compared to that of never-smokers by use of mixed models adjusted for sociodemographic and anthropometric factors. Differential FEV decline was also evaluated according to duration of smoking cessation and cumulative (number of pack-years) and current (number of cigarettes per day) cigarette consumption.

FINDINGS: 25 352 participants (ages 17-93 years) completed 70 228 valid spirometry exams. Over a median follow-up of 7 years (IQR 3-20), FEV decline at the median age (57 years) was 31·01 mL per year (95% CI 30·66-31·37) in sustained never-smokers, 34·97 mL per year (34·36-35·57) in former smokers, and 39·92 mL per year (38·92-40·92) in current smokers. With adjustment, former smokers showed an accelerated FEV decline of 1·82 mL per year (95% CI 1·24-2·40) compared to never-smokers, which was approximately 20% of the effect estimate for current smokers (9·21 mL per year; 95% CI 8·35-10·08). Compared to never-smokers, accelerated FEV decline was observed in former smokers for decades after smoking cessation and in current smokers with low cumulative cigarette consumption (<10 pack-years). With respect to current cigarette consumption, the effect estimate for FEV decline in current smokers consuming less than five cigarettes per day (7·65 mL per year; 95% CI 6·21-9·09) was 68% of that in current smokers consuming 30 or more cigarettes per day (11·24 mL per year; 9·86-12·62), and around five times greater than in former smokers (1·57 mL per year; 1·00-2·14). Among participants without prevalent lung disease, associations were attenuated but were consistent with the main results.

INTERPRETATION: Former smokers and low-intensity current smokers have accelerated lung function decline compared with never-smokers. These results suggest that all levels of smoking exposure are likely to be associated with lasting and progressive lung damage.

FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and US Environmental Protection Agency.

10aAdult10aAged10aCase-Control Studies10aEx-Smokers10aFemale10aFollow-Up Studies10aHumans10aLung10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.)10aNon-Smokers10aRespiratory Physiological Phenomena10aSmokers10aSmoking10aSpirometry10aUnited States10aYoung Adult1 aOelsner, Elizabeth, C1 aBalte, Pallavi, P1 aBhatt, Surya, P1 aCassano, Patricia, A1 aCouper, David1 aFolsom, Aaron, R1 aFreedman, Neal, D1 aJacobs, David, R1 aKalhan, Ravi1 aMathew, Amanda, R1 aKronmal, Richard, A1 aLoehr, Laura, R1 aLondon, Stephanie, J1 aNewman, Anne, B1 aO'Connor, George, T1 aSchwartz, Joseph, E1 aSmith, Lewis, J1 aWhite, Wendy, B1 aYende, Sachin uhttps://chs-nhlbi.org/node/8402