Research

Menthol cigarettes may increase stroke risk, study says
A new study shows that menthol cigarette smokers are more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke compared to non-menthol smokers. Researchers used data from the 2001-2008 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to determine what type of cigarettes (menthol vs. non-menthol) the participants smoked, as well as negative health outcomes. The results show that smoking menthol cigarettes did increase the risk of stroke compared to non-menthol cigarettes, but did not increase the risk of other health conditions, such as hypertension or heart attacks. The authors conclude that more research should be done to learn more about the association between menthol cigarettes and risk of stroke. Click here to read more and click here to read an extract of the study, which was published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Secondhand smoke affects girls more
According to a new study, girls exposed to secondhand smoke suffer worse health consequences than boys. Researchers examined children from a Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution cohort at ages 2, 4, and 7 to determine their allergic sensitization, pulmonary function, and asthma diagnosis as well as their secondhand smoke exposure at ages 2 and 4. The results show that smoke exposure was associated with reductions in lung function for both genders, and girls had worse lung function than boys when they were exposed to similar amounts of secondhand smoke. These results show that secondhand smoke is harmful to both genders, and measures should be taken to reduce children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. Click here to read more and click here to read the study abstract published in Pediatric Allergy Immunology.

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