Smoking before age 15 increases the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study carried out by researchers from different centers in the United States, such as the Geisel School of Medicine or the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, both in New Hampshire.
In depth
COPD is a inflammatory lung disease that affects more than 30 million Americans and it is the fourth cause of death in the world. This pathology includes several conditionsas chronic bronchitis and emphysemaand may have its origin in genetic factors and in irritants such as smoke or pollution.
A previous study using data from the National Health Interview Survey 2020 showed that COPD was more common in adults who began to smoke before 15 years of age (childhood smoking) compared to those who started after age 15 years, regardless of their current smoking status and lifetime cigarette smoking.
In this new study, published in ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation‘, the authors expanded on previous research and examined whether childhood smoking before age 15 increased the likelihood that a person would develop COPD later in life, even after taking into account possible exposure to secondhand smoke.
More details
To develop this new research, a nationally representative sample of adults aged 40 years and older from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study was studied (PATH).
“Our study suggests that a person with a history of childhood smoking has a higher risk of developing COPDregardless of current smoking status, duration of smoking, pack-years of cigarettes, and exposure to secondhand smoke,” says the pulmonologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center at Dartmouth Health (United States) and lead author of the study. , MHS, Dr. Laura M. Paulin.
“Critical lung development occurs in childhood and early adolescence, making children’s lungs especially susceptible to damage from smoking. These findings highlight the need for further increased public health efforts to reduce and ultimately prevent childhood smoking“he concludes.
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