Smoking

Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. Many health experts now regard habitual smoking as a psychological addiction, too, and one with serious health consequences.

Heart attack declines due to smoke free workplace laws

Decline in Incidence of Heart Attacks Appears Associated with Smoke-Free Workplace Laws – A new study has found the strongest evidence yet that smoke-free workplace laws that reduce secondhand smoke inhalation can lead to reductions in heart attacks. Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in nonsmokers, and research suggests that the cardiovascular effects of SHS are nearly as large as those with active smoking.

Cigarette smoking leads to cataract in aging people

Smoking may lead to cataracts in aging population – Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for a wide-range of diseases. Now, scientists have evidence that smoking may also increase the risk of age-related cataract, the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the world.

Nicotine addiction vaccine may help quitting smoking

New vaccine for nicotine addiction — Weill Cornell researchers develop novel anti-body vaccine that blocks addictive nicotine chemicals from reaching the brain – A single dose of novel vaccine protects mice, over their lifetime, against nicotine addiction. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have developed and successfully tested in mice an innovative vaccine to treat nicotine addiction.

Secondhand smoke linked to Type 2 diabetes and obesity

Secondhand smoke is linked to Type 2 diabetes and obesity – Adults who are exposed to secondhand smoke have higher rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes than do nonsmokers without environmental exposure to tobacco smoke, a new study shows.

Smoking linked to increased mortality in older patients

Study links smoking to increased all-cause mortality in older patients – An analysis of available medical literature suggests smoking was linked to increased mortality in older patients and that smoking cessation was associated with reduced mortality at an older age, according to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, USA. Smoking is a known risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, however, the epidemiological evidence mostly relies on studies conducted among middle-aged adults.

Smoking linked to mental decline in men

Smoking associated with more rapid cognitive decline in men – Smoking in men appears to be associated with more rapid cognitive decline or mental decline. Smoking is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for dementia in the elderly and the number of dementia cases worldwide, estimated at 36 million in 2010, is on the rise and is projected to double every 20 years.

Nicotine patches and nicotine gum not effective in helping smokers quit long term

Nicotine replacement therapies may not be effective in helping people quit smoking – Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) designed to help people stop smoking, specifically nicotine patches and nicotine gum, do not appear to be effective in helping smokers quit long-term, even when combined with smoking cessation counseling, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Smoking causes stroke to occur 10 years before

Smoking causes stroke to occur — Smokers May Get Strokes 10 Years Before Nonsmokers — Does a stroke study change your attitudes about smoking? – Not only are smokers twice as likely to have strokes, they are almost a decade younger than non-smokers when they have them, according to a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

Stopping smoking boosts everyday memory

Stopping smoking boosts everyday memory — Dr Tom Heffernan with Dr Terence O’Neill Smoking and Memory Loss – Giving up smoking isn’t just good for your health, it’s also good for your memory, according to research from Northumbria University.

Cigarette smoking implicated in half of bladder cancers in women

New analysis indicates that risk of bladder cancer from smoking greater than previously reported – Current cigarette smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer than previously reported, and the risk in women is now comparable to that in men, according to a study by scientists from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.