Jump to full article: News Interactive Network/News Limited/News.com (au), 2009-11-15
Author: Jill Eckersley The Sunday Telegraph
Intro: Recently, further scientific evidence has emerged to suggest that women may be at particular risk from smoking.
This year, a Norwegian study of almost 2000 women showed that women were at a higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at a younger age, and after smoking less heavily, than men.
COPD is an umbrella term that incorporates emphysema and chronic bronchitis. There are four stages of the condition, which are ranked in terms of their severity.
"We estimate that 2.1 million people in Australia have some form of COPD, and half of them don't know it," says Heather Allan, director of the COPD National Program at the Australian Lung Foundation.
. . .
This isn't the first study that suggests that women may be more at risk from smoking than men. A 2005 Monash University found that women were more susceptible to exposure to smoke than men. Allan says researchers believe this could be because women have narrower and more sensitive airways than men.
A report by the British Lung Foundation in 2005 suggested it may be because women's lung capacity is smaller, and population studies have also suggested that there may be a genetic element involved.
This is why health campaigners are so concerned that more young women in their teens and 20s are starting and continuing to smoke than men. . . .
The reasons for women's increased risk of lung disease have not yet been fully researched. According to NHS Direct in the UK, a gene that speeds up the growth of lung tumours is known to be more active in women.
The female hormone oestrogen is also known to affect the development of such tumours. . . .
For the cost of a local call from anywhere in Australia, the Quitline provides advice and assistance to smokers who want to quit.
Jump to full article » |