Peak Expiratory Flow Assessment in Smokers Liabilities

Introduction: The world health organization (WHO) recognizes smoking as a chronic and epidemic disease encouraged through personal experiences and/or public advertisements, and is considered to be the single largest preventable cause of illness and early death worldwide. The inhalation of smoke resulting from the burning of derivatives of all types of tobacco, by non-smoker, constitutes the so-called secondhand tobacco smoke. It is the third avoidable cause of death in the world, after active smoking and alcoholism. Purpose: To evaluate Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) in smokers liabilities. Methods: The sample consisted of 40 participants who were divided into two groups: 20 smokers liabilities (exposed group) and 20 participants not exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS - control group). The Peak Flow Meter Medicate® was used to measure expiratory flow. Student’s t-test was used to compare the variables obtained. Data were analyzed using BioEstat® 5.3 software. Results: No statistical differences were observed in the comparison of PEF values between the group exposed and not exposed to ETS (p=0.82). There was no difference among those practicing and not practicing physical activity in the group exposed to ETS (p=0.29) and in the PEF values between the group exposed to ETS with age above and below 25 years (p=0.73). Conclusion: there were no significant changes in the PEF in the passive of smokers. Passively smoking does not seem to alter lung function.