One in five women between the ages of 18 and 24 are smokers, and most say they keep lighting up for fear of gaining weight. But researchers at Temple University have found that when it comes to quitting, a little bit of dialogue and support can be more effective than an exercise plan in helping women not only keep off the weight, but also stay smoke-free.
Continue Reading April 27th, 2009
During the past several years, significant progress has been made in identifying susceptibility genes for nicotine dependence through genetic linkage and association analyses. Although a large number of genes have been associated with tobacco smoking, only a very limited number of genetic variants are considered to be causative. How to find these functional variants and then characterize them remains challenging in the field of human genetics.
Continue Reading April 27th, 2009
Research linking bad habits such as smoking and the direct impact on a senior’s health will be presented during the American Geriatrics Society’s Annual Meeting April 29 - May 3 in Chicago, IL. The study followed more than 2,000 seniors who were current smokers, past smokers and had never smoked. All three groups were compared to show a link between smoking and the speed at which participants walked.
Continue Reading April 27th, 2009
Current research suggests that smoking increases the production of osteopontin in the lungs, which contributes to the development of smoking-related lung disease. The related report by Prasse et al, “Essential role of osteopontin in smoking-related interstitial lung diseases,” appears in the May 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. Nearly one billion people worldwide smoke tobacco products.
Continue Reading April 27th, 2009
The calming neurological effects of nicotine have been demonstrated in a group of non-smokers during anger provocation. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions suggest that nicotine may alter the activity of brain areas that are involved in the inhibition of negative emotions such as anger.
Continue Reading April 25th, 2009
According to a report released today by the American Lung Association, 2008 proved to be a slow year for tobacco control policies on the state level, with only a select few taking the steps that are needed to curb tobacco use and save lives.
Continue Reading April 23rd, 2009
1. Patient-Tailored Treatment Regimens May Have a More Positive Impact than Strict Glycemic Control in Managing Type 2 Diabetes Physicians routinely emphasize tight glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, tight glycemic control may require highly complex treatment regimens that can result in frustration, non adherence, and financial stress for some patients.
Continue Reading April 22nd, 2009
Researchers may have uncovered why lung cancer afflicts some smokers and not others, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009. “A history of smoking has always been thought of as a predictor of lung cancer, but it is actually not very accurate,” said Jian-Min Yuan, Ph.D., M.D., associate professor of public health at the University of Minnesota.
Continue Reading April 20th, 2009
Summaries of recent news about state budget developments appear below. Colorado: The state House on Thursday by voice vote approved a fiscal year 2010 budget that would fill a $300 million shortfall with a combination of spending cuts and revenue-generating actions, the Denver Post reports. The proposal includes about $255.
Continue Reading April 20th, 2009
Scientists in the US may have uncovered why some smokers get lung cancer while others do not: they found that those with the highest urine levels of a known biomarker for the uptake of a cancer-causing chemical found in tobacco had a two-fold increased risk of developing lung cancer than those with the lowest levels.
Continue Reading April 20th, 2009