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Those Who Never Smoked Compared With Those Who Ever Smoked

Kaye H. Kilburn, MD; Raphael H. Warshaw

Arch Intern Med. 1992;152(2):325-327.

Abstract
The profusion of irregular opacities on chest roentgenograms by International Labour Organisation pneumoconiosis criteria was used to assess the severity of asbestosis in 8749 asbestos-exposed active and retired American workers. Seventy-eight percent had no asbestosis (category 0/0 or 0/1), 18.6% had slight asbestosis (1/0 to 1/2), 3% had moderate asbestosis (2/1 to 2/3), and 0.3% had advanced disease (3/2 or greater). Significantly more current smokers had asbestosis than did those who had never smoked, and their average profusion of opacities was higher. The mean age of current smokers with asbestosis was 60 years, whereas subjects with the disease who had never smoked had a mean age of 64 years, a significant difference. Cigarette smoking and asbestosis appear to act synergistically to produce irregular opacities on chest roentgenograms of asbestos-exposed American workers.

(Arch Intern Med. 1992;152:325-327)

Author Affiliations
From the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Environmental Sciences Laboratory, Los Angeles, and Workers Disease Detection Services Inc, San Dimas, Calif.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication August 27, 1991.

Reprint requests to University of Southern California School of Medicine, Environmental Sciences Laboratory, 2025 Zonal Ave, RB-1 Room 226, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (Dr Kilburn).

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