Healthy Journey » smoking

Smoking: Metabolic damage and the Risk of Diabetes

editor — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:19:38 +0000

Smoking used to be socially acceptable. Remember the Marlboro Man? Smoking was thought of as cool, rugged, and sexy. Virginia Slims won their campaign and made smoking cigarettes fashionable for women, as well.

In reality, smoking has always been detrimental to our health. It’s now common knowledge that smoking damages the lungs, but the effects of smoking on the body’s metabolic process is something less well understood. What is clear is that this metabolic damage can lead to diabetes Type 2. (...)

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Screening and Preventing Lung Cancer

editor — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:53:09 +0000

Of all the cancer deaths in the United States, lung cancer remains one of the most deadly—for both men and women. Sadly, it is one of the easiest to prevent.

There are many known carcinogens and the surgeon general issues warnings on dangerous products. But, you may still wonder how does cancer start? Extended exposure to chemicals and other respiratory irritants can lead to cancerous growths. Transformations in the cells’ DNA takes place when smoking or asbestos exposure occurs and damages lung cells over time. This damage causes the cells to become cancerous.

Most cases of lung cancer are associated with the use of tobacco products. This all started in the early 1920s, when many men started smoking, who had not previously used tobacco. The result was an increase in lung cancer among those same men. For women, the 1940s not only brought more of them into the work place because of World War II, but also into the previously male-dominated world of smoking. Again, the same rising pattern of lung cancer was observed in new female smokers. (...)

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Smoking Bans effective for reducing risks from secondhand smoke

editor — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:33 +0000

Smoking bans are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease associated with exposure to secondhand smoke, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The report also confirms there is sufficient evidence that breathing secondhand smoke boosts nonsmokers’ risk for heart problems, adding that indirect evidence indicating that even relatively brief exposures could lead to a heart attack is compelling.

“It’s clear that smoking bans work,” said Lynn Goldman, professor of environmental health sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, and chair of the committee of experts that wrote the report. “Bans reduce the risks of heart attack in nonsmokers as well as smokers. Further research could explain in greater detail how great the effect is for each of these groups and how secondhand smoke produces its toxic effects. However, there is no question that smoking bans have a positive health effect.” (...)

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