Nadal Blanco, MJ; Magro Perteguer, R; Gil Zarzosa, L; Sánchez Hernández, I; Guinea Jaime, J; Río Borreguero, T

Unidad Docente de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria, Hospital General del INSALUD, Guadalajara.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether tobacco consumption affects the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms. The European Asthma Study Questionnaire was used.DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study.SETTING: Guadalajara Health Area.PATIENTS: Sample of 3000 people between 20 and 44 living in Guadalajara.INTERVENTIONS: None.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Measuring instrument was the European Asthma Study Questionnaire, to which two items on tobacco dependency were added. All the symptoms except asthma attack changed in function of the amount of tobacco consumed. Sibilant noises varied from 8.3% in non-smokers (NS), to 17.5% in light smokers (LS), 28.7% in moderate smokers (MS) and 42.6% in heavy smokers (HS). Night cough also increased in parallel with consumption: 14.1% in NS, 23.2% in LS, 41.2% in HS. Nocturnal thoracic pressure (14.7%), attacks of breathlessness (12.3%) and being considered to have asthma symptoms (14.2%) were more common in heavy smokers. Non-smokers had greater prevalence of sibilant noise with breathlessness (NS 57.7%, LS 39.2%, MS 30.4%, HS 34.5%) and without an associated cold (NS 45.2%, LS 20.3%, MS 23.4%, HS 29.9%), and used asthma treatments more often (NS 3.5%, LS 1.7%, MS 1.5%, HS 1%).CONCLUSIONS: The studies using this questionnaire should include additional questions on the tobacco history of the participants, since it seems that tobacco smoking and its amount may affect findings.