Research

Smoking increases AF risk
A new study indicates that smoking is associated with increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that can cause blood clots and stroke. Researchers collected data on smoking status and incidence of AF among 15,078 individuals aged 45 to 64 over the course of thirteen years. They found that compared to never-smokers, current smokers had double the risk and former smokers had a 32% higher risk of developing AF. The greatest AF risk was observed among those who smoked the most. The authors note that the findings emphasize the health benefits of never smoking or quitting smoking, and that the mechanism connecting smoking to AF is unknown and must be further researched. Click here to read more, or read the study abstract, published in Heart Rhythm Journal.

Evidence ties smoking to throat, stomach cancer
A recently published meta-analysis of 33 studies shows that smokers are over twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop cancer of the esophagus or gastric cardia (part of the stomach). Researchers pooled the results of 33 case-control or prospective cohort studies to quantify the risks of developing esophageal or gastric cardia cancers associated with smoking. Overall, current smokers had over double the chances of developing the cancers compared to never-smokers. This risk declined after quitting smoking, but still remained 62% higher in former smokers than never-smokers. While the overall health burdens of smoking-related diseases is much larger than that of esophageal and gastric cardia cancers, given their rarity in the Western world, this study adds to the evidence of the health hazards of smoking. Read more about the study here, or click here to read the abstract of the article, which was published in Epidemiology.

Lifetime exposure to cigarette smoking and the development of adult-onset atopic dermatitis
According to a new study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, smoking is associated with adult-onset atopic dermatitis (AD). Researchers compared tobacco smoking and secondhand smoke exposure in 83 adult-onset AD patients and 142 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. They found that current smokers were 4.99 times more likely and ever smokers 3.62 times more likely to develop adult-onset AD than never-smokers. The data also showed that packs of cigarettes smoked per year among smokers and exposure to secondhand smoke among never-smokers were also associated with adult-onset AD. The results suggest that not smoking and reducing exposure to tobacco smoke may help prevent adult-onset AD. Click here to read the study abstract.

Smokers who quit have less aggressive kidney cancer
A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicates that smoking is a risk factor for advanced kidney cancer (or renal cell carcinoma, RCC), although quitting does decrease this risk over time. Researchers reviewed clinical data, demographics, and smoking history from 845 patients that had surgery for RCC to examine the association between smoking and advanced RCC (metastatic disease, pathologic stage T3 or above, and/or lymph node involvement). They found that current and former smokers were 50% and 60% more likely, respectively, to have advanced disease. Longer duration of smoking and increased exposure were both associated with increased risk of advanced disease, while quitting was associated with a 9% reduction in risk for every ten years smoke-free. Because cigarette smoking is one of only a few modifiable risk factors associated with kidney cancer, these findings emphasize the importance of smoking prevention and cessation in preventing RCC. Click here to read more, or click here to read the study abstract.

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