title: Effects of tobacco exposure on lung health and pulmonary biomarkers in young, healthy smokers aged 12-25 years: a systematic review.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with high personal and societal burden and mortality. COPD is usually diagnosed during middle or late adult life, but the starting point for a 'COPD career' may be found earlier in life, during adolescence: first, because of smoking initiation and subsequent accumulation of risk, and second, because of the adverse effects of cigarette smoking on lung-function development. The objective of this paper is to systematically review the literature on the effects of active smoking on lung health in 12-25-year-old healthy boys and girls, measured with simple and noninvasive methods: lung function by spirometry, exhaled gases (including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons) and exhaled breath condensate. The identification of biomarkers may be useful for early detection of tobacco-related respiratory disease in this population, for targeted smoking prevention or smoking-cessation programs and, in the long term, for a reduction of personal and societal impact of COPD and other smoking-related diseases.
authors.affiliation: Maastricht University, Department of General Practice, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. d.kotz@hag.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotz
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van de Kant
authors.forename: Quirijn
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jöbsis
authors.forename: Constant P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van Schayck