MedNews — Nicotine
Should Docs Recommend Smokeless Tobacco as Last Resort to Quit Smoking?
If people are unable to kick the smoking habit, are doctors justified in recommending smokeless tobacco such as Snus or other smokeless tobacco products? That is the question under debate in a recent article in the British Medical Journal. More »
Counseling Plus Medication May Help Teens Quit Smoking
A clinical trial of 312 teenagers aged 14 to 17 who smoked six or more cigarettes a day and had tried quitting at least twice, found that counseling and medication may help teens quit smoking, though in some cases (26-week time period), the placebo group had higher quit-rates than those taking the drug tested in the study, bupropion.
The subjects were divided into three groups and administered 150 milligrams (105 teens) or 300 milligrams (104 teens) of bupropion daily, or a placebo (103 teens). More »
Surprising Statin Finding: Slowing the Decline in Lung Functioning
In a recent paper published by the American Thoracic Society (October 2007), the use of statins appears to slow down the rate in which lung function declines in the senior population. More surprisingly, the decline decrease also is evident in smokers.
The researchers postulate that statins' known anti-inflammatory properties (along with antioxidant properties) cause this effect. More »
Cardiologists Call for New Approach in Treating Chest Pain
In a joint statement by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), physicians are calling for a more aggressive approach to evaluating patients presenting with chest pain (unstable angina)—and quickly determining whether the therapeutic approach should be medical, invasive or a combination of two.
Guidelines released today by the ACC encourage the early use of tests such as a stress test, an echocardiogram or a radionuclide angiogram (which visualizes the coronary arteries) in patients considered stable. More »
Smoking Hooks Kids Almost Immediately, New Study Shows
According to a study published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 10% of 217 studied children who inhaled cigarettes "lost autonomy over their tobacco" use within two days of their first cigarette. Another quarter became addicted within thirty days, and a full half were addicted after smoking only seven cigarettes per month.
The conclusions contradict "conventional wisdom" which believed that it took multiple cigarettes (at least five to six) per day to become addicted to nicotine. More »
Smoking May Lead to Early Menopause
Research done by Norwegian scientists reveals that menopause, which usually occurs around the age of 50, may occur earlier in women who smoke on a regular basis.
Menopause, which marks the end of menstruation cycle in women is usually accompanied by frequent mood swings, hot flashes, and sleep disorders.
Regular smoking has been known to cause more than 85 percent of all deaths due to lung cancer. It may also lead to many other types of cancer and a large array of other health-related issues. More »
