Research

Study finds association between tobacco smoking and increased risk of tuberculosis
A meta-analysis of epidemiologic data by the Harvard School of Public Health provides evidence of the association between smoking and an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB). In the study smokers were shown to have twice the risk of TB when compared to non-smokers. The study also found that secondhand smoke and the burning of biomass fuels was associated with an increased TB risk. The study has important implications for the health of developing countries where smoking rates are increasing and TB is prevalent. Click here to read more.

Families face heart risks as men smoke at home
Findings from a two-year study by heart-disease experts found that men who smoke at least one pack of cigarettes a day at home are contributing to a fourfold increase in the risk of their spouses suffering from coronary heart disease. Yu Cheuk, who headed the study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, emphasized the significance of the results, as more people begin smoking at home due to the recent smoking ban in public places. Click here for the press release.

Switching to smokeless tobacco no cure
A new study provides evidence that switching from cigarettes to snuff or chewing tobacco is not nearly as healthy as quitting tobacco altogether. New research revealed that cigarette smokers who switched to spitting smokeless tobacco products were still more likely to die from tobacco-related diseases than those who quit entirely. The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, compared death rates among a group of over 116,000 men who participated in an ongoing cancer prevention study from 1982 to 2002. Clickhere for the full article.

Exposure to secondhand smoke and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in never-smoking adults
A new study released in the journal Circulation, provides evidence for a direct biomarker link between secondhand smoke exposure and the increased risk for cardiovascular disease. English researchers examined cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in the blood of more than 7,500 people who had never smoked. Only 18 percent of those surveyed had no detectable levels of cotinine. Furthermore, those with low and high cotinine levels had increased levels of fibrinogen, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein, all substances linked with cardiovascular disease. Click here for the news release and here for the full article.

top

Back to Table of Contents