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Parental behavior about smoking affects children

Twelve-year-olds whose parents smoked were more than two times as likely to begin smoking cigarettes on a daily basis between the ages of 13 and 21 than were children whose parents didn't use tobacco, according to a new study that looked at family influences on smoking habits.

28 Sep 2005

Combination HRT appears to double the breast cancer risk in women who smoke

Older women who have smoked for 11 or more "pack years" - the lifetime equivalent of a pack a day for at least 11 years - face a 30 percent to 40 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer as compared to women who've never smoked, according to new findings from researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

28 Sep 2005

Fndings could lead to a treatment for idiopathic interstitial pneumonia

An incurable, deadly lung disorder, "idiopathic interstitial pneumonia" (IIP), whose causes were mysterious arises from a combination of a genetic predisposition and damage due to inhaled chemicals, notably from cigarette smoking, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found.

27 Sep 2005

Heavy smokers can reduce their risk of lung cancer if they decrease smoking by 50 percent

Despite efforts to prevent people from beginning smoking and to encourage smoking cessation, the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking is still high and many smokers are unable or unwilling to completely quit.

27 Sep 2005

Veggies reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers

Eating vegetables and other foods that have weak estrogen-like activity appears to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in smokers - as well as in non-smokers, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

27 Sep 2005

Tobacco industry hindered federal and international regulations on pesticide use

The tobacco industry coordinated cross-industry campaigns to delay and weaken federal and international regulations on pesticide use, according to new findings by University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) researchers.

26 Sep 2005

Left handedness may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer

Researchers in the Netherlands examined the relation between handedness and incidence of breast cancer in over 12,000 healthy, middle aged women born between 1932 and 1941.

26 Sep 2005

Smoking may increase the risk of developing diabetes

The surprising finding emerged when researchers examined the relationship between smoking and diabetes among participants in a major national study, the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS).

26 Sep 2005

Warning: Popularity may be hazardous to pre-teens' health

According to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, popular students in 16 Southern California middle schools were more likely to become smokers than their less popular peers.

26 Sep 2005

Leaving deprivation out of standard risk assessments for heart disease is potentially denying life saving treatment to those who need it most

A person's estimated chances of developing heart disease, and being allocated "primary preventive" treatment, is currently calculated using the standard risk factors of smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, age, sex, and diabetes. These are typically pulled together in the internationally used Framingham Risk Score.

26 Sep 2005

HDL cholesterol helps prevent blocked arteries and heart attack

Cardiology experts at Johns Hopkins have issued interim guidelines for physicians on how best to treat low levels of HDL cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps keep arteries clear from the buildup of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol.

22 Sep 2005

One to four cigarettes a day almost triples a smoker's risk of heart disease

The impact is stronger for women, the study shows, and quashes the cherished notion that "light" smokers escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.

22 Sep 2005

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables greatly reduces risk of developing pancreatic cancer

In one of the largest studies of its kind, University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have found that eating lots of fruits and vegetables - particularly vegetables - is associated with about a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose and remains largely untreatable.

21 Sep 2005

Heavy alcohol consumption can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation

A large-scale study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that heavy alcohol consumption - 35 or more drinks per week -- can significantly increase men's risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a dangerous type of arrhythmia and one of the leading risk factors for stroke.

20 Sep 2005

Dual association of beta-carotene with risk of tobacco-related cancers

A new study of French women has found that high beta-carotene intake--through a combination of diet or supplementation--is associated with a higher risk of tobacco-related cancers in smokers, but the risk of these cancers decreases with increasing beta-carotene intake in nonsmokers.

20 Sep 2005

Significant death risk linked to airborne particles

Experts may be significantly underestimating air pollution's role in causing early death, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers, who studied two decades' worth of data on residents of the Los Angeles metro area.

20 Sep 2005

Periodontal disease develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought

Periodontal disease -- a progressive, eventually painful and disruptive condition in which bacteria attack gums and the hidden roots of teeth -- develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought, a major new study concludes.

20 Sep 2005

Largest ever study of smoking in the Asia Pacific region

The largest ever study of smoking in the Asia Pacific Region, and one of the largest smoking studies ever conducted anywhere in the world, has dispelled a long-held myth that smokers in Asian populations are less susceptible than Western populations to the risks of smoking, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

20 Sep 2005

Compounds found in broccoli, cauliflower, and watercress block lung cancer progression

A family of compounds found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and watercress, blocked lung cancer progression in both animal studies and in tests with human lung cancer cells, report researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center and the Institute for Cancer Prevention.

19 Sep 2005

Impact of prevention strategies and improvements in stroke healthcare

Coinciding with National Stroke Week in Australia (19 - 25 September 2005) is the release of results from two recent stroke studies from the George Institute for International Health that investigate both the causative factors as well as a little studied outcome of stroke, that of depression.

19 Sep 2005