Although children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are known to be at increased risk of developing asthma, ?few studies have investigated the role of active cigarette smoking on asthma onset during adolescence?, the researchers explain in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Research has shown that most smoking in the US occurs among people who have psychiatric conditions, such as alcohol or drug abuse, major depression, anxiety and ADHD. Columbia University Medical Center researchers are recruiting smokers who have been diagnosed with ADHD to be part of a study that will help them quit smoking.
Women who smoke or are exposed to tobacco smoke early in their pregnancies are more likely to have children with certain types of congenital heart defects, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2006.
The science of cancer prevention has advanced to the point where researchers now say they can detect ?cancer genes? in the breath of smokers, and can test the presence of two proteins in men they say will predict development of prostate cancer a decade in advance. All of these novel findings need much more examination, of course, but scientists at the American Association for Cancer Research?s Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting, say these examples illustrate how it is becoming increasingly possible to use genes and their protein products to help predict and diagnose cancer, as well as choose therapy that offers the most potential for a good result. These researchers will also discuss a test that can pick out patients who have pancreatic cancer – an advance that offers hope the disease can be treated at earlier stages than it is now – and how several unique genes can predict which prostate cancer or lung cancer patients will develop aggressive tumors that need additional treatment. Cancer is a disease of genes, they say, so genes can be employed as a crystal ball to thwart the disease.
Smoking women finds difficulties in getting pregnant because of some harmful effects on uterus. Smoking also cut the chances of IVF and success rate is low in them. New research finds that heavy smoking impairs women’s fertility by reducing the odds that a fetus will implant in the uterus.
Children and adolescents may be even more susceptible to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke than adults – according to new research into bladder cancer published in next week?s edition of the International Journal of Cancer*.
Accusing Multinational tobacco companies of dumping their products in India and trying to “entice” youngsters to take up smoking, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said the government would continue to fight the companies tooth and nail.
The part of the brain responsible for making most decisions about how to behave seems to develop less quickly in children exposed to cocaine before they were born, University of Florida researchers have found.
The Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau should make more use of information technology to speed up the exchange of data regarding pandemics, says Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow.
Senior health officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau today (November 6) reaffirmed the importance of co-operation and information exchange in a tripartite meeting.