HEADLINES

• Smoking during pregnancy triggers asthma through DNA changes
• Smoking raises odds for cancer in women already at high risk
• Heavy smoking tied to advanced kidney cancer
• Cigarettes kill one in every three elderly smokers: study
• Scotland: Alex Salmond demands right to set taxes on alcohol and cigarettes in Scotland as he is re-elected First Minister

• Smoking during pregnancy triggers asthma through DNA changes

  According to researchers, children whose mothers smoked while pregnant are at an increased risk of developing asthma.

  The researchers discovered this could be partially because smoking while pregnant can change the structure of the child's DNA, weakening the immune system.

  They found that the children of women who smoked while pregnant were more likely to have experienced more DNA methylation of the AXL gene, which is crucial to development of the immune system.

  Carrie Breton, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California USC in Los Angeles, said, "Exactly what effect these genetic changes have in such children is difficult to determine. They could also suffer from asthma more than others because the smoke affected their physical development in the womb, or simply because they breath in more smoke as children."

  Leanne Metcalf, director of research at Asthma UK, said: "This research reinforces why smoking during pregnancy should be avoided. Children whose parents smoke are 1.5 times more likely to develop asthma and Asthma UK needs all parents and expectant parents to avoid exposing children to cigarette smoke to help protect them from developing asthma - once the damage is done, it’s very hard to undo."

  Source: The Telegraph, 18 May 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/irIUIc

• Smoking raises odds for cancer in women already at high risk

  A new study found that in women with a high risk of breast cancer, long term smoking significantly increased the risk of invasive breast, lung and colon cancers.

  The researchers found that women who smoked for at least 35 years had a 60 percent higher risk of invasive breast cancer and more than four times the risk of colon cancer, compared to those who never smoked.

  Women who smoked for 15 to 35 years were 34 percent more likely to develop invasive breast cancer and 7 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those who never smoked.

  Stephanie Land, study author from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health said, "Our results showed an even greater increase in risk than has been shown in previous studies, suggesting that for women who are at risk of breast cancer because of family history or other factors, smoking cigarettes is even more risky than for other women."

  "It sends a very important message for women with family histories of breast cancer about the long-term risks of smoking, as well as the importance of staying physically active. We're seeing again that smoking cessation is one of the most effective tools we have for reducing risk of many cancers."

  Source: Healthfinder, 18 May 2011
  Link: http://1.usa.gov/jMmgc0

• Heavy smoking tied to advanced kidney cancer

  In a new study, researchers from Duke University Medical Center found that current and former smokers were 1.5 to 1.6 times more likely to have advanced cancer than non-smokers.

  The investigators found that heavy smoking was associated with advanced renal cell carcinoma, while quitting smoking reduced the risk of advanced disease by 9 percent for every 10 years that a former smoker was smokefree.

  The findings were presented at the American Urological Association's annual meeting, in Washington, D.C.

  News conference moderator Dr. Toby Kohler said, "The study shed new insight into the role that smoking might have for urologic cancer. For kidney cancer, it is true that kidney tumours are more often being detected these days when they are smaller. However, smoking seems to confer a much greater risk that the cancer may be more aggressive. Cessation of smoking seems to lower the risk."

  Source: HealthDay, 15 May 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/jPsLhd

• Cigarettes kill one in every three elderly smokers: study

  A decade-long follow up study by the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong found one in three elderly smokers aged 65 to 84 will die from smoking-related illnesses..

  The research, starting in 1998, had followed in total 64,654 elderly people aged 65 to 84 at 18 elderly health centres until October 2010.

  The study found that the risk for senior smokers dying from lung cancer was 277 percent, nearly three times, higher than that of people who never smoked.  The risk of dying from coronary heart disease is 35 percent higher among smokers than that of those who have never smoked.

  The study also observed a significant risk reduction of lung cancer mortality among those who quit smoking.

  The study concluded that the earlier one quits, the greater the reduction in the mortality risk.

  Professor Lam Tai-hing, who conducted the study said, "Increasing the tobacco tax will encourage the elderly people to cease smoking and eventually to live a healthier life."

  Source: China Daily, 17 May 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/jMMWlC

• Scotland: Alex Salmond demands right to set taxes on alcohol and cigarettes in Scotland as he is re-elected First Minister

  Alex Salmond demanded the right to set taxes on alcohol and cigarettes in Scotland.
  
  The move, which could net his government £1.7billion a year, came when he was sworn in as First Minister.
  
  According to the latest figures, the Treasury raise £784million from alcohol sales in Scotland - 9.1 per cent of the UK total - while tobacco duty raises £940million - 11.3 per cent of the UK figure.

  Source: Daily Record, 19 May 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/jBQUoR