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Association Between Smoking and Respiratory Function Before and After Menopause

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Abstract

There is a lack of evidence about whether menopausal status influences the effect of smoking on lung function. This study examined the association between smoking and menopausal status and lung function independent of each other. Data were from a cohort of women attending the 21-year follow-up of the Mater University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy. The study was based on 2020 women who provided data on respiratory function, smoking, and menopausal status. A Spirobank G spirometer system was used to measure forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), and forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25–75). Smoking and menopausal status were assessed by self-report. Respiratory function was associated with cigarette smoking, menopausal status, and hormone replacement therapy. Regardless of smoking status, postmenopausal women had poorer lung function when compared with premenopausal women. In multivariate analysis, cigarette smoking was associated with lower FVC, FEV1, and FEF25–75, with the magnitude of effect being stronger for women who were postmenopausal. The data suggest that the impact of smoking intensifies after menopause. It seems plausible that effective quit-smoking programs, particularly after menopause, may lead to better lung function and reduced morbidity and mortality in women.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all participants in the study, the MUSP data collection team, and Greg Shuttlewood of the University of Queensland who has helped to manage the data for the MUSP. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, but the views expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any funding body.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Mohammad R. Hayatbakhsh, Jake M. Najman, Gail M. Williams & Anita Paydar

  2. Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Queensland, Mater Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    Michael J. O’Callaghan

  3. School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Alexandra Clavarino

Authors
  1. Mohammad R. Hayatbakhsh
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  2. Jake M. Najman
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  3. Michael J. O’Callaghan
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  4. Gail M. Williams
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  6. Alexandra Clavarino
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Correspondence to Mohammad R. Hayatbakhsh.

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Hayatbakhsh, M.R., Najman, J.M., O’Callaghan, M.J. et al. Association Between Smoking and Respiratory Function Before and After Menopause. Lung 189, 65–71 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-010-9269-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-010-9269-9

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