Lung function disorders screening among the smoking patients in primary health care

Background: Smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Prevalence of smoking in Russian Federation is one of the highest in the world: 39.1% of the adult population. The airflow limitation is not necessarily accompanied by certain symptoms and therefore some patients do not always seek for medical advice. Aim: Early detection of airflow limitation and identification of risk factors for COPD among smoking patients in general practice in Northwest Russia. Methods: 414 volunteers (smokers and ex-smokers) were invited to make the standardized lung function test and fulfilled the questionnaires (including the symptoms and smoking status). COHb% and carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaled air were established by MicroCO analyzer. Results: Mean age was 42.1±13.6 years, 62.3% of the sample was males, and 89% of subjects were current smokers. The average smoking history was 25 pack-years for males and 14.8 for females. Subgroups of potential (smoking>10 pack-years) and high (>25 pack-years) risk of COPD were defined (68.1% and 30.7%, respectively). The high levels of CO and COHb (>3%) were revealed in 25.5% and 35.9% smokers, respectively. The cough and dyspnoea were the main complains (49.0% and 45.7%, respectively). Obstructive ventilation disorders were identified in 41.1% of subjects. The prevalence of obstruction increased with age and smoking history (p Conclusions: Early diagnosis of lung function disorders in smoking patients is an opportunity to identify individuals with increased risk of developing COPD.