Increased risk of pneumonia for smokers
08/14/99
Those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes per day are almost three times more likely to acquire pneumonia than people who have never smoked, according to a recent study.
A study of 112 men and 93 women who had contracted pneumonia was compared with a controlled sample of 475 people without pneumonia. Among the patients with pneumonia, almost 65 per cent were current cigarette smokers. Among the controlled sample, slightly over 56 per cent were smokers. After five years of no smoking, the risk of acquiring pneumonia was reduced, said the report.
The authors estimate that approximately one out of every three cases in these adults could have been avoided if no one in the population smoked.
The investigators' results showed no difference in risk associated with the use of filter cigarettes, cigarettes made with darker tobacco or the individual's depth of inhaling.
Cigarettes
