Research

Menthol cigarettes no more risky, study suggests
Recent research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that people who smoke menthol cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer than those that smoke regular cigarettes. Researchers used a case-control design to study 440 lung cancer patients and 2,213 healthy controls to determine if smoking menthol cigarettes was linked to a higher lung cancer incidence. They found that regardless of cigarette type, smoking is associated with lung cancer; however, there were significantly fewer incidences of lung cancer and deaths from lung cancer among menthol smokers versus regular cigarette smokers. While the study results suggest that menthol cigarettes are no more toxic than regular cigarettes, the study does not address youth menthol cigarette use. Click here or here for more information.

Cigarette smoke ups mucus in lungs
Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine shows that cigarette smoke suppresses a protein that is involved in controlling the growth of mucus-producing cells in the lungs, leading to an over-secretion of mucus. Researchers analyzed bronchial brushings of eleven chronic bronchitis sufferers and nine healthy individuals to determine the levels of Bik, a protein involved in the regulation of mucus producing cells in mice. They found that Bik was significantly reduced in the individuals with bronchitis. This observation was confirmed through analysis of airway tissues from former smokers obtained by autopsy and through a mouse model experiment. The findings lay the groundwork for further research into therapies that restore Bik expression to decrease excess mucus among chronic bronchitis patients. Click here for more information, or read the abstract of the study.

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