ABS88: Diagnosis of COPD combined with brief smoking cessation advice increases smoking cessation rate in comparison with those with normal lung function

Abstract

Smoking cessation is the most important therapeutic intervention in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and the health benefits are immediate and substantial. Major efforts have been done to develop methods with high smoking cessation rates. Objectives: To study if a combination of spirometry and brief smoking cessation advice to smokers with COPD, annually during 3 years, increased their smoking cessation rate in comparison with groups of smokers with normal lung function. Prospective, randomised study in primary care. Smoking cessation rates were compared between smokers with COPD followed-up yearly during 3 years and smokers with normal lung function followed-up yearly during 3 years or followed-up only once after 3 years. The point-prevalence abstinence rate and prolonged abstinence rate at 6 and 12 months increased yearly and was in smokers with COPD at year 3, 29%, 28% and 25%, respectively. The abstinence rates were significantly higher in smokers with COPD than in smokers with normal lung function. Smoking cessation rates among smokers with normal lung function did not increase with increasing number of follow-ups. Smokers, diagnosed with COPD stopped smoking significantly more often than those with normal lung function. A structured nurse based COPD-surgery, with regular spirometry controls of smokers with COPD increase the chances for successful smoking cessation in daily practice. Conflict of interest and funding None.