More muscle for the argument to give up smoking

bianjie submitted, created time 1 year 5 months (www.nottingham.ac.uk)

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have got more bad news for smokers. Not only does it cause cancer, heart attacks and strokes, but smokers will also lose more muscle mass in old age than a non-smoker. The effect of this predisposes smokers to an accelerated decline in physical function and loss of independence.

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Gene variations directly link inflammation to an increased risk for lung cancer

bianjie submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (www.eurekalert.org)

Variations in two genes related to inflammation may be a major risk factor for developing lung cancer, according to a team of scientists from the National Cancer Institute and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The effect of these genes is especially strong among heavy smokers, suggesting that the inflammatory response is important in modulating the damage caused by tobacco smoke.

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Cigarettes now have more pep per puff

DanyC submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.newscientist.com)

The amount of nicotine that smokers typically inhale increased by 11 per cent per cigarette between 1998 and 2005, according to data supplied by tobacco companies to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Meanwhile, a recently approved anti-smoking drug called varenicline, which partially blocks nicotine in the nervous system, triples the odds of a person quitting smoking, according to a review ofstudies involving nearly 5000 people.

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