title: Respiratory symptom relief related to reduction in cigarette use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many smokers reduce their cigarette consumption during failed attempts to quit. We report the impact of changes in consumption on smoking-related respiratory symptom severity (SRRSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2002 and May 2004 we recruited 383 smokers from 5 methadone maintenance programs for a randomized trial of nicotine replacement plus behavioral treatment versus nicotine replacement alone for smoking cessation. Cigarette use in the 28 days prior to the interview, and severity of SRRSS using a 7-item respiratory index, were assessed at baseline and at 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline minus 3-month assessment difference in SRRSS score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Follow-up of 319 participants (83.3%), mean age 40.4 years, 51.4% male, who smoked 26.4 cigarettes per day, demonstrated a mean reduction of 16.7 cigarettes per day. A reduction in cigarette use was positively and significantly (b=0.29, t=5.16, P<.001) associated with a reduction in smoking-related symptom severity after adjusting for age, gender, race, years of regular smoking, baseline nicotine dependence, and history of treatment for asthma or emphysema. A 1 standard deviation reduction in average daily smoking (about 14.1 cigarettes) was associated with a 0.28 standard deviation decrease in smoking-related symptom severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduction in symptom severity increases as absolute reduction in daily smoking increases. This is the first study to demonstrate an association between subjective short-term health changes and reduction in smoking.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Brown University Medical School, Providence, RI 02903, USA. mstein@lifespan.org
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Marjorie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: Debra S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D008691:Methadone