Determinación de valores espirométricos en jóvenes fumadores y no fumadores

Background: COPD is a condition that affects millions of people. Standard for diagnosis of this disease is spirometry. Many young smokers at an early stage of COPD could be detected by spirometry. Objective: To identify by means of spirometry young smokers with airflow. Material and methods: An observational, transversal and descriptive study was made, which included men and women between 18 and 25 years old. All of them were medical students at a private university in Puebla, Mexico. Participants were divided into two groups; one of cases (smokers) and one of control (non-smokers). We applied the St. George respiratory questionnaire and took a spirometry according the ATS standards. Results: During 11 months, 160 subjects were enrolled, 91 women and 69 men. They were divided into smokers and non-smokers groups. Smokers got a mean of 87.3 ± 9.27 in the FVC/FEV1 relation that when compared with the control group mean (91.1 ± 7.49) was statistically significant (p = 0.0045). Nineteen subjects in the group of smokers obtained mild obstruction data in the spirometry, with a FCV/FEV1 mean of 74.5 ± 4.34. Conclusions: Identification of those subjects at risk of developing COPD at an early age would open the possibility of reducing the number of deaths associated with smoking. It is important to consider that for public health is more convenient to invest in early prevention of the groups at risk of COPD that in the treatment of this disease.