PET scans show cigarette smoke affects peripheral organs
...f Health, and the Department of Energy, shows that cigarette smoke also decreases levels of a critical enzyme called monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) in the kidneys, heart, lungs, and spleen. Too much or too little of this crucial enzyme can have an effect on a person's mental or physical health. MAO B is importa...Early nicotine use may lead to lasting addiction, study finds
...n the United States, 88 percent smoked their first cigarette before the age of 18 and 60 percent before age 14. Adolescence is also a crucial period for the brain, he said, in which the final phase of neuron development occurs. "The great majority of tobacco addiction begins during adolescence, yet little is k...Smoking linked to osteoporosis in women
...factors on bone health and the damaging effects of cigarette smoking may well have been underestimated in the past," says Professor Wark. "Twins are enormously valuable for this type of research, and we are deeply appreciative of their contribution," he says. The study will be published in the September 2003 ...Dental procedure may reduce risk of premature birth
...bjects having the following risk factors; maternal cigarette smoking, history of preterm birth prior to 35 weeks gestation, body mass index, positive vaginal fetal fibronectin, or the presence of bacterial vaginosis. Periodontal diseases are serious bacterial infections that destroy the attachment fibers and ...Workplace exposure a significant cause of severe respiratory disease
...tudy. "These findings direct us to look beyond the cigarette when we consider prevention of chronic lung disease." While smoking remains the predominant cause of COPD, the study's authors conclude that "the workplace environment plays an important role too...clinicians and public health policymakers must also ...Depression doubles risk of death after bypass surgery
...sulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, increased cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse and physical inactivity. The Duke researchers are currently investigating several potential mechanisms, including the effects of depression on platelet aggregation and heart rate variability. "The overall goal of all our effort...Telomere length may be associated with risk of smoking-related cancers
...nal cell cancers--cancers that are associated with cigarette smoking. Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and prevent them from degrading, fusing, or recombining abnormally--events that may lead to cell death. Although telomere shortening is associated with aging, studies have shown that telomere length can ...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, August 19, 2003
...t Unsafe for People With HIV Smoking a marijuana cigarette or taking a synthetic form of marijuana in capsule form did not affect key indicators of HIV treatment compared with placebo, a new study found (Article, p. 258). Sixty-two people with HIV who were receiving antiretroviral treatment were randomized i...Smoking causes half the tuberculosis deaths in Indian men
...never smokers. The risks were substantial both for cigarette smoking (the main urban habit) and for bidi (small cigarettes popular in Asia) smoking. Of this excess mortality among smokers, most involved respiratory disease (chiefly tuberculosis) or vascular disease (chiefly heart attack). Smoking also caused s...Anemia is risk factor for physical decline in older adults
...s that might affect the results, such as age, sex, cigarette smoking and blood pressure, and found that anemia is an independent risk factor. The researchers hypothesize that anemia may affect physical function because it causes people to feel weak, increasing the chance of falling. Because it reduces oxygen l...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, June 3, 2003
...ncrease Heart Risk In a sample of 17,353 adults, cigarette smoking was associated with elevated levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and homocysteine, three recently identified risk factors for heart disease (Brief Communication, p. 891). Current smokers had higher levels of the three risk factors than ...Secret documents reveal how tobacco industry targeted gay men
... of opportunity" for promoting the Benson & Hedges cigarette brand and targeted the community under the guise of philanthropy, according to UCSF researchers. In an analysis that appears in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the UCSF team reports that Philip Morris advertised in the gay me...New type of vaccine against nicotine addiction developed by TSRI scientists
...any smoking cessation strategies, in fact, provide cigarette addicts with nicotine from sources other than tobacco--such as patches or gum. Janda and his laboratory, however, have taken an "immunopharmacotherapy" approach. That is, they have designed a drug that stimulates the immune system to clear the nicot...An anti-nicotine drug reduces the rewarding effects of alcohol
...ine is believed to reduce the rewarding effects of cigarette smoking. A new study has found that mecamylamine a...hat is believed to reduce the rewarding effects of cigarette smoking. Scientists have suspected for some time that common mechanisms may be involved in both nic...Kids who get prescription asthma drugs visit ER less often
...atic lungs overreact to allergens such as dust and cigarette smoke, exercise, cold and dry air, and other factors -- all collectively known as asthma triggers. When a trigger sets off a rapid narrowing of the airways, asthmatics cough, wheeze, feel short of breath and experience tightness in their chests -- th...African-Americans willing to shoulder higher cigarette taxes
...frican American smokers (18.5 percent) agreed that cigarette taxes should be raised. Blacks have good r...ks suffer more than Whites from the ill effects of cigarette smoking, including higher rates of cancer and other smoking-related diseases. "Studies have shown th...New UCLA program to study the possible environmental causes of cancer
...ample, why some individuals exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke develop lung cancer, while others do not. Br...potent carcinogens found in smog, cooked foods and cigarette smoke. Investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for higher incidence of prostate cancer for ...Rising cost of cigarettes may help smokers honor new years resolution to quit
...y this surge can be attributed to two key factors: cigarette price hikes and smoking ban legislation, which hav...across the country. "The data are clear. Higher cigarette prices, including those resulting from cigarette excise tax increases, have led to reductions in cig...Heart gone haywire blamed in some sudden infant deaths
...is/her stomach to sleep, 2) don't expose a baby to cigarette smoke and 3) don't cover a baby with heavy blankets. He says medical examiners must begin to collect and store tissue in a way that enables a molecular autopsy in sudden infant deaths.......e strongly correlated to risk factors that include cigarette smoking," Sinzinger says. "Considering that in the United States and Western Europe nearly half of all children are exposed to second-hand smoke in some way, these findings could be of great importance. Later vascular disease might be triggered ear...