No Amount of Smoke is Safe During Pregnancy
Razi Berry Nearly a quarter of pregnant women say they’ve been around secondhand smoke — in their homes, at work, around a friend or relative — which, according to new research, is linked to epigenetic changes — meaning changes to how genes are regulated rather than changes to the genetic code itself — in babies […]
Lifestyle Factors Most Closely Correlated with Dying
Razi Berry Smoking, divorce and alcohol abuse have the closest connection to death out of 57 social and behavioral factors analyzed in research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Smoking, divorce and alcohol abuse have the closest connection to death out of 57 social and behavioral factors analyzed The study analyzed […]
Smoking May Promote COVID-19 Infection
Razi Berry Previous data from COVID-19 patients suggests that cigarette smokers are more likely to have health complications. One possible reason, researchers report May 15 in the journal Developmental Cell, is that smoking increases the gene expression of ACE2–the protein that binds SARS-CoV-2–which may promote COVID-19 infection. Prolonged smoking could cause an increase of the […]
Using Cigarettes to Quit Vaping
Razi Berry Lucas McClain started smoking cigarettes in high school but switched to vaping after he heard e-cigarettes were a safer alternative. His vape of choice became the Juul, the king of electronic cigarettes — which comes with a king-size nicotine hit. Oh the irony; smoking cigarettes to stop vaping “Juul made my nicotine addiction […]
Social Contact Important in Preventing Dementia
Razi Berry Being more socially active in your 50s and 60s predicts a lower risk of developing dementia later on, finds a new UCL-led study. The longitudinal study, published in PLOS Medicine, reports the most robust evidence to date that social contact earlier in life could play an important role in staving off dementia. Socially […]
Coronary Artery Calcium Levels Linked to Future Heart Problems in the Middle-Aged
Razi Berry Higher coronary artery calcium levels in middle-age were associated with structural heart abnormalities linked to future heart failure, particularly among blacks, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a risk marker for heart health problems Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is the buildup […]
Male Obesity May Contribute to Fertility Issues
Razi Berry About 15% of couples in fertile age have experienced fertility problems. Men contribute to 50% of the cases when a couple cannot achieve the desired pregnancy. The proportion of overweight men has tripled in parallel with the increase in fertility problems worldwide. The doctoral thesis conducted at the University of Tartu Institute of […]
Link Between Mitochondrial Damage and Osteoporosis
Razi Berry New research from the School of Veterinary Medicine lays out a possible mechanism by which alcohol, cigarette smoke, and exposure to certain medications and toxins can weaken bone. Until now, researchers haven’t gained a firm picture of how these exposures link up with bone loss Some risk factors for osteoporosis such as being […]
Smoking, Hypertension, Obesity and Diabetes: Bad for the Brain
Razi Berry Many people consider the health of their physical body to be separate from the health of their mind, which is to say their brain. However, it is vitally important to remember that anything that affects the blood vessels affects our brain. A few of these are smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. […]
Smoking During Pregnancy Could Increase Risk of ADHD
Razi Berry Despite its proven negative effects on fetal development, smoking during pregnancy remains a significant public health issue. During 2017, approximately 12.5% of all pregnant women in Finland smoked during pregnancy and 7% continued to smoke throughout their pregnancy. Association between maternal smoking and offspring ADHD Exposure to maternal smoking is associated with various […]