Research

Smoking, high blood pressure and being overweight top three preventable causes of death in the U.S.
A recent study attempted to quantify the effects of lifestyle risk factors on mortality in the United States. Using data from nationally-representative studies, researchers identified the most common preventable causes of death from a comprehensive list of diet, lifestyle, and metabolic factors. As the top risk factor for premature or preventable death, smoking is responsible for 467,000 deaths each year. Following smoking, high blood pressure and overweight-obesity are the second and third leading risk factors for preventable death. Smoking was the leading cause of death among men, while high blood pressure was the leading cause of death among women. The results of this study highlight the need for further public health interventions to reduce the effects of these risk factors. Click here to read more. Click here to read the study in PLoS Medicine.

Is the increase in adenocarcinoma a result of changes in cigarette design?
There is new evidence that the risk of developing lung cancer in the United States has increased among smokers over the past forty years, controlling for the amount and duration of cigarette consumption. The researchers examined lung cancer rates and the design and composition of cigarettes in the U.S., and found that a significant and steady increase in lung cancer incidence over the past several decades coincided with changes in cigarette designs. Comparing U.S. lung cancer rates to the rates in Australia, the researchers suggest that differences between the two countries’ cancer rates may be attributable to differences in cigarette designs. The report concludes that these findings provide strong support for FDA regulation of the tobacco industry. Click here to read an abstract of the study, which was presented at the 2009 Joint Conference of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and SRNT-Europe. Click here to read a statement from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

Women more susceptible to harmful effects of smoking, study finds
A study of lung cancer patients found that women were more likely to be younger when they developed the cancer, despite fewer years of smoking, on average, than men. The researchers analyzed data from a Norwegian study of 954 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 955 control subjects. All participants were current or former smokers. The findings indicate that women may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of tobacco use. The study also suggests that women experience more negative health consequences from smoking than men even at lower exposure rates. The reasons why women may be more susceptible to negative tobacco related health outcomes are still unknown. Click here for more information on this research, which was presented in May at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society.

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