Key result
Asymptomatic smokers with normal spirometry and physical exams exhibit significant pathophysiologic changes, including airway inflammation, immune dysfunction, genetic alterations, and structural damage compared to nonsmokers.
Why the study?
Does cigarette smoking induce pathophysiologic changes in the respiratory system of asymptomatic healthy smokers compared to nonsmokers?
Does cigarette smoking induce pathophysiologic changes in the respiratory system of asymptomatic healthy smokers compared to nonsmokers?
Asymptomatic 'healthy' smokers already exhibit significant subclinical respiratory inflammation, immune dysfunction, and genetic alterations, indicating that they are not truly healthy.
Indicates subclinical damage despite normal tests; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4500 chemicals which have toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Strong evidences have shown that current smokers take a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer than nonsmokers. However, less attention has been paid to the smoking induced abnormalities in the individuals defined as healthy smokers who are normal with spirometry, radiographic images, routine physical exam and categorized as healthy control group in many researches. Actually, 'healthy smokers' are not healthy. This narrative review focuses on the smoking related pathophysiologic changes mainly in the respiratory system of healthy smokers, including inflammation and immune changes, genetic alterations, structural changes and pulmonary dysfunction.
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Zhou et al. (2016) conducted a review in Healthy smokers. Cigarette smoking vs. Nonsmokers was evaluated. Asymptomatic smokers with normal spirometry and physical exams exhibit significant pathophysiologic changes, including airway inflammation, immune dysfunction, genetic alterations, and structural damage compared to nonsmokers.
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