Nicotine News and Research

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Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (''Solanaceae'') which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves.

Study shows that African American children with asthma have significantly higher levels of cotinine

A new study may help explain why African American children suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related illness.

6 Mar 2005

Stop smoking services encourage more GPs to help smokers quit

Clinics to help people stop smoking have led to an increased number of GPs recording whether patients smoke and referring them for assistance to quit – according to a new report.

1 Mar 2005

Naltrexone may help men and women quit smoking without gaining weight

Naltrexone is a medication that blocks the effects of drugs such as morphine, heroin and codeine. It also has been approved for use in treating alcoholism and is being investigated for its ability to help smokers quit.

28 Feb 2005

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears in their shoulders than their tobacco-free counterparts, according to study results presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

27 Feb 2005

Health insurance that pays the full cost of smoking-cessation treatments can increase quit rates

Health insurance that pays the full cost of smoking-cessation treatments can increase quit rates, compared to benefit plans that pick up only part of the tab or that offer no cessation benefits at all, according to a new review of studies.

22 Feb 2005

Stop-smoking products increase quit rate for smokers who need to quit the most

An article in the current issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (Volume 28, Issue 1, 2005) provides new hope for smokers who are highly dependent upon tobacco and who smoke more than two packs per day.

21 Feb 2005

Chronic nicotine exposure worsens some Alzheimer’s-related brain abnormalities

UCI researchers have determined that chronic nicotine exposure worsens some Alzheimer’s-related brain abnormalities, contradicting the common belief that nicotine can actually be used to treat the disease.

9 Feb 2005

Nicotine may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

The chemical nicotine--a main ingredient in tobacco--may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, give insight into therapeutic interventions for nicotine addiction and possibly complement the diagnosis of certain forms of lung cancer, according to a study in the January issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

31 Jan 2005

Few smokers make use of the help that is available

Antidepressant medicines, nicotine replacement products, and counseling can all help a smoker stick with that New Year's resolution to kick the habit. But a study by American Cancer Society researchers finds that few smokers make use of the help that is available.

17 Jan 2005

Study identifies potentially valuable applications for new drug Nifrolidine

Along with aiding efforts to study addicted smokers, a new drug that attaches only to areas of the brain that have been implicated in nicotine addiction may help studies of people battling other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

12 Jan 2005

Tobacco smoke exposure affects children and adolescents in many ways

A new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study shows that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with decreases in certain cognitive skills, including reading, math, and logic and reasoning, in children and adolescents.

4 Jan 2005

Drinking water with high levels of arsenic increases risk of lung cancer

Residents of Taiwan who consumed drinking water with high levels of arsenic have a higher risk of lung cancer, with cigarette smokers from this group having an even greater risk, according to a study in the December 22/29 issue of JAMA.

22 Dec 2004

Smoking, a major problem in plastic surgery

Smoking is known to cause heart disease and cancer, but most patients do not know that smoking can harm the chances of having successful plastic surgery operations.

6 Dec 2004

DNA provides key to successful quitting smoking

Smokers who want to quit now have up to nine times greater chance of doing so, thanks to new DNA testing launched today by Oxford University’s newest spin-out, G-Nostics.

4 Dec 2004

Smoking habits during pregnancy may cause genetic instability in the foetus

The Spanish Pediatrics Association has recently awarded the Pediatrics laboratory at the University of Navarre for a research into tobacco and foetal genetic instability.

2 Dec 2004

New research into nicotine addiction

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has awarded a $2.1 million contract to Perlegen Sciences, Inc., to investigate the human genome for DNA variations and candidate genes associated with nicotine addiction.

24 Nov 2004

Genetic defect boosts the chances of becoming addicted to tobacco

A genetic defect, which slows the liver's capacity to clear nicotine from the body, boosts the chances of becoming addicted to tobacco, finds research in Tobacco Control. The effects are particularly strong in new, young smokers, the study shows.

24 Nov 2004

Cotinine not linked to hearing loss

Levels of cotinine, a chemical that is made by the body from nicotine, which is found in cigarette smoke, does not appear to be linked to hearing loss, according to an article in the November issue of The Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

16 Nov 2004

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

A team of investigators supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has created a strain of mice scientists can use to study nicotine addiction and its associated behaviors.

9 Nov 2004

Antidepressants may help people quit smoking when used in conjunction with nicotine patches

When used with a transdermal nicotine patch, nortriptyline—an antidepressant medication—may aid in smoking cessation, according to an article in the November 8 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Nov 2004