Respiratory functional evaluation and pulmonary hyperinflation in asymptomatic smokers: Preliminary study

The reduction of the mean values of FEV1/FVC, FEF 75%, FEF 25-75% and the cardiothoracic index seems to indicate precocious pulmonary dysfunction. This work aims to reveal the importance of detecting premonitory anomalies of pulmonary disease during the subclinical phase in patients at risk. Smoking must be considered a factor of multisystemic repercussion; thus, intervention opportunities in this particular group must not be wasted. This preliminary study identifies potentially promising variables with the aim of testing the hypothesis that there can be premonitory alterations in COPD, according to its evolution versus reversibility after smoking cessation. This work will be concluded in a future study.