What is it about?
This study looked to review the impact of smoking - Tabacco, marijuana - on lung function related to COPD. To do so inhaled bronchodilator spirometry tests were performed on multiple occasions from a subset of 1285 individuals aged ≥40 years. The finding showed that amount heavy marijuana users the risk of COPD was significantly increased. Those who smoked both marijuana and tobacco saw a faster decline in lung function though a decrease in forced expiratory capacity.
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Why is it important?
As the population ages, we are able to see the implications of a lifestyle choice in the long term. Being aware of the increased risk can help identify those who should receive additional screening and advise health guidelines for the general population. Without knowing the impact of our actions we can't take informed steps to change.
Perspectives
It is common knowledge that smoking is bad for us but the increased popularity of marijuana has brought up new questions. More work should be done to explore these impacts and methods of treatment.
Professor Kenneth R Chapman
University of Toronto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The effects of marijuana smoking on lung function in older people, European Respiratory Journal, September 2019, European Respiratory Society (ERS),
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00826-2019.
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