Effects of cigarette smoking on the caliber of the small airways in healthy young smokers

Although many studies have demonstrated the deleterious effect of cigarette smoking on lung function, nevertheless, a relative minority of smokers develop significative functional impairment. In this study we examined the ventilatory function in a group (n = 18) of young healthy smokers and in a control group of non smokers (n = 8). The two groups didn't show significative differences in spirometric tests. However in smokers the indexes of small airways calibre (FEF50 and FEF25) were slightly lower than for non smokers.