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Young Smokers Suffer More |
Harm | ||||||||||||||||
A new study suggests the earlier a person begins to smoke, the more genetic damage they are likely to suffer, increasing their risk for cancer. The findings suggest that adolescents may be handicapping themselves for the rest of their lives in terms of their ability to recover from the damage tobacco can produce. . Researchers studied lung tissue samples and blood samples from cancer patients and compared them with those who had never smoked. Patients who never smoked showed minimal DNA damage. Current smokers' and ex-smokers' DNA damage was eight times and 3.5 times higher, respectively, than those who had never smoked. All smokers develop DNA damage, a precursor to cancer, and all smokers who quit show some DNA repair. But smokers who picked up the habit at a very young age, around ages 9 to 12, showed the highest amount of DNA damage, according to the study. Researchers say age may affect smoking-related DNA in two ways. First, smoking at a young age during a time of rapid cell growth can cause long-term genetic damage. Another possibility is that young smokers may accumulate more DNA damage compared to people who start smoking when they are older. The study appears in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. |
Smoking boosts energy
expenditure -- Many smokers believe that
kicking the habit leads to subsequent weight gain. Now,
scientific evidence appears to support the claim and
provide a possible reason. According to a report in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Dr. Peter Rowell and others at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, found that the body apparently uses more energy during light physical activity if a person is also smoking. Ex-smokers may need to increase their physical activity levels in order to use the same number of calories once burned during smoking, the research team suggests.
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