title: Five-year lung function observations and associations with a smoking ban among healthy miners at high altitude (4000 m).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the annual lung function decline associated with the reduction of secondhand smoke exposure in a high-altitude industrial workforce.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed pulmonary function tests annually among 109 high-altitude gold-mine workers over 5 years of follow-up. The first 3 years included greater likelihood of exposure to secondhand smoke exposure before the initiation of extensive smoking restrictions that came into force in the last 2 years of observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In repeated measures modeling, taking into account the time elapsed in relation to the smoking ban, there was a 115 ± 9 (standard error) mL per annum decline in lung function before the ban, but a 178 ± 20 (standard error) mL per annum increase afterward (P < 0.001, both slopes).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Institution of a workplace smoking ban at high altitude may be beneficial in terms of lung function decline.
authors.affiliation: From the Kumtor Gold Company (Drs Vinnikov and Redding-Jones), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; University of California (Dr Blanc), San Francisco, Calif; and Kyrgyz State Medical Academy (Dr Brimkulov), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vinnikov
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: Nurlan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brimkulov
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Redding-Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006046:Gold; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014797:Vital Capacity; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D006046:Gold