CHRONIC-BRONCHITIS AND THE TYPE OF CIGARETTE SMOKED

Background. Smoking is a well known primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis. However, little is known about the relationship between different types of cigarettes smoked and chronic bronchitis. Objective. To determine the association between chronic bronchitis and the type of cigarette smoked. Methods. A cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted in an urban area (Pelotas) of Southern Brazil, A total of 1053 subjects aged greater than or equal to 40 years were interviewed about respiratory symptoms and some risk factors for chronic bronchitis. Results. After adjustment for confounding factors, the number of daily cigarettes smoked was strongly associated with the risk of chronic bronchitis (odds ratio [OR] = 8.10, 95% CI : 4.46-14.71 for smokers of greater than or equal to 20 cigarettes per day compared to non-smokers). Among smokers, maize leaf cigarettes showed the highest risk (OR = 5.43 compared to non-smokers, 95% CI : 2.65-11.13) and filter cigarettes the lowest (OR = 2.19, 95% CI : 1.19-4.03). Conclusions. In addition to the number of cigarettes smoked, the use of maize leaf cigarettes was shown to have an important independent association with chronic bronchitis.