Passive Smoking and Adult Asthma
Section snippets
Prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure
In the United States, there has been significant progress in reducing passive smoke exposure. During the period from 1988 to 2002, SHS exposure, as measured by serum cotinine, declined by 70% [4]. Nonetheless, nearly half of all Americans continue to have evidence of recent SHS exposure.
Although they might be expected to avoid SHS, many United States adults with asthma actually experience significant exposure. In a cohort of adults with asthma living in Northern California, 29% reported regular
Secondhand smoke exposure and asthma induction in adults
Extensive data support a causal association between SHS exposure and induction of asthma in children [3]. In a recent meta-analysis of 85 studies conducted by the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), passive smoking was associated with an increase in childhood asthma incidence of between 21% and 37% [2]. The literature was deemed to be sufficient to infer a causal relationship between passive smoking and childhood asthma induction. Until recently, however, the relationship between
Secondhand smoke exposure and exacerbation of pre-existing adult asthma
Because adults with asthma have chronic airway inflammation, they may be particularly susceptible to the effects of SHS exposure. Both the California EPA and United States EPA have affirmed a causal connection between passive smoke exposure and exacerbation of pre-existing asthma among children [2]. Adults with asthma commonly report SHS exposure as a trigger for asthma exacerbation [55], [56]. However, the impact of SHS exposure on adults with asthma has received less research than in children.
Summary
The long-term health consequences of SHS exposure have been established over the past two decades. Consistent epidemiologic evidence links SHS exposure with serious chronic health effects, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease [3], [65], [66]. In the present article, the evidence suggests a causal relationship between SHS exposure and new-onset asthma and asthma exacerbation among adults. Despite the growing knowledge of SHS-related health effects, smoking is still permitted in many
References (68)
- et al.
Associations of smoking with hospital-based care and quality of life in patients with obstructive airway disease
Chest
(1999) - et al.
Effect of passive smoking on respiratory symptoms, bronchial responsiveness, lung function, and total serum IgE in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey: a cross-sectional study
Lancet
(2001) - et al.
Long-term ambient ozone concentration and the incidence of asthma in nonsmoking adults: the AHSMOG Study
Environ Res
(1999) - et al.
Effect of passive smoking on the development of respiratory symptoms in young adults: an 8-year longitudinal study
J Clin Epidemiol
(1996) - et al.
Respiratory symptoms/diseases and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in never smoker Italian women
Respir Med
(2007) - et al.
Passive smoking and evolution of lung function in young adults. An 8-year longitudinal study
J Clin Epidemiol
(1995) - et al.
Secondhand smoke exposure, pulmonary function, and cardiovascular mortality
Ann Epidemiol
(2007) - et al.
Indices of morbidity and control of asthma in adult patients exposed to environmental tobacco smoke
Chest
(1994) - et al.
Surveillance for asthma—United States, 1960–95
MMWR CDC Surveill Summ
(1998) Health effects assessment for environmental tobacco smoke
(2005)