Research

Study: Even occasional smoking can impair arteries
To add to the body of research that describes the detrimental effects of heavy smoking on cardiovascular health, a recent study examined the health effects of occasional smoking. The study used ultrasounds to evaluate arterial changes in young adult smokers who consume less than a pack of cigarettes per week, and had abstained from smoking for two days before being tested. The data showed that occasional smokers’ arteries were 36% less responsive to changes in blood flow (defined as reduced flow-mediated dilation) than the arteries of nonsmokers. Following the initial test of blood flow, the test was performed again after smokers had smoked two cigarettes. After smoking, smokers’ arterial responsiveness dropped by another 24%. This decrease in responsiveness could be an early sign of cardiovascular disease. Further research is needed to determine whether these arterial changes pose a long-term health risk, but this research provides evidence that even occasional smoking can impair cardiovascular function. Click here to read a summary of the findings.

Women require less tobacco exposure than men to increase colon cancer risk
While all smokers face an increased risk of colon cancer, the amount of smoking exposure needed to increase the risk is not well-studied. New research suggests that compared to men, women’s colorectal cancer risk increases more sharply with lower exposures to smoking. Smoking exposure in this study was calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked per day by the number of years smoked to determine the number of pack-years of smoking. After adjusting for factors such as age, BMI, and family health history, the data showed that women who had smoked for at least 30 years nearly doubled their risk of colorectal neoplasia compared to women who had no smoke exposure. The cancer risk in male heavy smokers was also doubled compared to male nonsmokers; however, the amount of pack-years of smoking needed to reach this level of risk was greater than for women. Click here to find out more.

Men who never smoke live longer, better lives than heavy smokers
Previous studies have shown that smoking decreases men’s life expectancy by seven to ten years. Smoking has also been linked to lifestyle factors that can reduce quality of life, such as poor nutrition and low socioeconomic status. A recent study found that smoking during midlife not only decreases life expectancy, but also decreases quality of life. Healthy men were asked in 1974 to answer questions about their smoking status, health, and quality of life, and then were evaluated again 26 years later. The study found that never-smokers lived an average of ten years longer than heavy smokers. Additionally, nonsmokers had a higher quality of life than smokers. The greatest negative effects of smoking on quality of life were on physical functioning and role limitations caused by health problems. The more cigarettes an individual smoked per day, the greater the declines in physical health. Although 68.9% of the men in the study had quit during the 26-year follow-up period, former smokers faced a greater risk of poor physical health than never-smokers. Click here to read more about this study and for information on related tobacco cessation research published in the October 13 Archives of Internal Medicine. Click here to access the abstract of this study.

Study links nicotine with breast cancer growth and spread
The biochemical role of nicotine in breast cancer development was studied in laboratory research on mammary cells. Researchers found that breast epithelial cells and cancer cells have a common nicotine receptor subunit called nAChR. nAChR is considered a component of the nervous system, but little is known about its function in other parts of the body, such as mammary cells. Animal studies showed that breast cancer cells injected into the tail of a mouse migrate to its lungs. Based on this information, the researchers believe nicotine works in a different way from other carcinogens. They hypothesize that nicotine may be involved in the process of signaling tumor growth, but is less likely to be responsible for tumor metastasis. Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanism, particularly taking exposure factors and genetics into account. To read more about this study, click here. The study is published in the journal Cancer Research.

Smoking boosts risk of aortic aneurysm event in postmenopausal women
In a large national study, risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurisms were evaluated among postmenopausal women. Aortic aneurisms—most of which are abdominal aortic aneurisms (AAA)—cause approximately 15,000 deaths each year in the United States, and mortality to AAAs is higher among women than men. The study showed that current or former smokers were at a significantly higher risk for AAA compared to women who never smoked. Current smokers were 8.73 times more likely to have had an AAA during the study period, compared to nonsmokers. Compared to former smokers, current smokers had four times more risk of having an AAA. Higher amounts of smoking were positively associated with an increase in risk. Click here for more details about the study, which was published online in the British Medical Journal. Click here to access the full BMJ article.

ADHD drugs cut risk of drug abuse, smoking: study
Studies have shown that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be smokers and drug users than other individuals. Previous studies have shown that treatment with pharmaceutical stimulants such as Ritalin can decrease the risk of substance abuse in boys with ADHD, but the results have been inconclusive for girls. A recent study found that adolescent girls with ADHD treated with stimulants were nearly half as likely to become smokers as those not being treated with drugs. The girls in the study being treated with stimulant drugs also had half the risk of substance abuse, compared to those not taking ADHD drugs. Although these findings show promise to help prevent smoking uptake in young girls, it is unknown whether the decrease in substance abuse risk lasts into adulthood. Click here to read more.

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International

Smoking and solid-fuel-burning in homes in China projected to cause millions of deaths (China)
Based on a Harvard School of Public Health study, researchers project that deaths to COPD and lung cancer could account for 19% and 5% of all deaths, respectively, in China over 30 years. Projected lung cancer deaths in China from 2003-2033 are estimated at 65 million, while COPD deaths will total 18 million. Smoking and the burning of of biomass and coal fuel will play a role in over three quarters of these deaths. Approximately 50% of Chinese men are smokers, and 70% of Chinese households use wood, coal, or crop residues for heating and cooking. Respiratory illnesses are currently among the top ten causes of death in China, but if smoking rates decrease and the types of fuels used indoors become cleaner, respiratory illnesses will decrease dramatically, according to the researchers’ estimates. Click here for more information. Click here to access an abstract of the research, which was published online in Lancet.

One-third of world smokers are Chinese men: Just 1 part of China's chronic disease battle (China)
A study recently published in Lancet as part of a series on Health Care Reform in China documents the recent shift in the healthcare burden in China from infectious diseases to noninfectious chronic diseases. This shift has been attributed to rapid development in China, which has altered the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors, including poor diet, insufficient physical activity, and smoking. Sixty percent of Chinese men are smokers, accounting for one third of smokers worldwide. The study highlights the importance of public health prevention efforts to prevent chronic disease and reduce associated healthcare costs. To learn more, click here. Click here to access the full research article.

Tobacco: £2.7 billion UK health cost (UK)
A report from a collaboration by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Cancer Research UK, and the British Heart Foundation has found that despite decreases in smoking in the UK, healthcare costs for treating smoking-related illnesses have risen considerably. Ten years ago, the annual healthcare costs of smoking were estimated at £1.7 billion, but the current estimate has risen to a total of £2.7 billion a year. This rise is attributed to longer survival times for those with smoking-related health problems, more expensive medical treatments, and a better understanding of the large range of adverse health effects caused by smoking. On a positive note, the researchers estimate that public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of smoking have resulted in a £380 million cost savings for the National Health Service. In addition, UK cigarette taxes bring in £10 billion in revenue to offset the healthcare costs. For more information, click here.

5% of hospital admissions among adults aged 35 and over are due to smoking, new figures reveal (UK)
According to a report from the UK National Health Service (NHS), one in twenty hospital admissions during 2006-2007 were related to health problems caused by smoking. This figure only includes hospital admissions of adults over 35, since research suggests that 35 the earliest age at which diseases can be directly attributed to smoking. The report titled “Statistics on Smoking, England,” found that cancer-related hospital admissions were the most common, followed by admissions for circulatory diseases and respiratory conditions. An analysis found that smoking deaths decreased by 14% from 2001 to 2007, and that 18% of all deaths in 2007 were attributable to smoking. Another recent report from the NHS on tobacco cessation indicates that participation in the NHS Stop Smoking Services program has increased from 2007 to 2008. Click here for more details.

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