[Survival of patients with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in relation to smoking habits].

INTRODUCTION Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is estimated to become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The mortality and morbidity from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is getting higher and higher as a result of the epidemics in tobacco consumption all over the world, especially in developing countries. The study objectives were to determine the correlation between the smoking habits and mortality in the patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases, to evaluate the two-year and five-year survival depending on the smoking habits, to compare and correlate the smoking habits and a decrease in the lung function. MATERIAL AND METHODS This observational, retrospective-prospective study was carried out from 2001 to 2007 to monitor the two-year and five-year survival in respect to the smoking habits. During the study, both groups of smokers and non-smokers underwent spirometry, and the pulmonary function was measured at least once a year and the values were compared. The average values were calculated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS The study revealed a statistically significant difference in the two-year and five-year survival in end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease depending on the smoking habits. In addition, it pointed to a higher relative decrease in the pulmonary function in smokers suffering from very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in non-smokers and former smokers suffering from end-stage of this disease. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION According to this study, the progression to the end stage of this disease is faster in smokers suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than in the non-smokers and the former smokers who suffer from this disease.