People who quit smoking may reduce their risk of developing dementia later in life, according to new research. A team of researchers at a university in China analyzed data from more than 32,000 adults over a 25-year period and found that former smokers had a lower risk of dementia compared to people who continued smoking. The findings were published … Read more
NEW YORK (AP) — The cigarette smoking rate among US adults dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 11 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released this week. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading … Read more
Some doubts about vaping may go up in smoke with this latest study. While smoking rates have fallen to an all-time low, the use of electronic cigarettes has become more popular, thanks in part to appealing fruity flavors and sleek designs. Initially marketed as a way to help people quit traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes may rewrite … Read more
Dementia is anything but fast — in fact, it’s often described as the “long goodbye.” Over 6 million Americans have the profoundly slow disease, which tends to take years, or even decades, to unfold. The largely irreversible condition gradually erodes personality, cognitive abilities and physical mobility. The good news is that there are lifestyle changes … Read more
Dirty habits die hard. Slightly less dirty habits don’t go any easier. A new, worldwide review of smoking cessation from 2014 to 2023 found the best way to quit cigarettes is to swap in nicotine-filled e-cigarettes. Progress? Evidence shows that nicotine-laden e-cigarettes were better at kicking butts than nicotine replacement methods such as patches, gums, … Read more
We’re smoking hot. Yes, you read that right – cigarettes are having a moment again. Just when it seemed we’d burned that bad habit to the ground, Hollywood — ironically part of the nation’s most health obsessed state — is lighting up again. From trays filled with cigarettes at the Vanity Fair Oscar’s Party to … Read more
Call ’em crimes against the food pyramid. The Snack Gods have blessed us with some out-of-this-world fusions lately, dropping mashups like crème brûlée grilled cheese, barbecue-flavored Cheetos and cheeseburger spring rolls. Researchers are now warning that these types of craving crossovers — while oh-so-tantalizing — hook us by blending novelty with comforting nostalgia, a captivating … Read more
Call ’em laugh lines, battle blemishes or experience etchings. Wrinkles are a natural and universal part of aging. These creases primarily form as the skin loses collagen and elastin, which provide structure, firmness and elasticity. Certain habits can accelerate this process, making lines and grooves appear earlier and deeper. Blame genetics, hormones, dehydration, insufficient sleep, … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I often see ads about stopping smoking. I’d like to share my story of success in overcoming this filthy habit in the hope that it may help someone else. I smoked four packs of non-filtered cigarettes every day. At the age of 37, I knew I wanted to quit. I set a goal … Read more
Decisions, decisions! Every day, we make choices about our diet, exercise, sleep, interaction with others and management of stress. These small, seemingly innocuous picks really add up, significantly affecting how we age by influencing biological processes such as cellular inflammation, oxidative stress and the function of our organs. To learn how to age better, US … Read more
Smoking leaves more than just a bad taste in your mouth — it could be fueling your oral cancer risk. Studies have consistently reported that cigarette users are five to 10 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-smokers. A new study out of UC San Diego suggests that a chronic weed habit carries … Read more
Talk about mist-ifying news. In addition to shortening life spans, decimating taste buds and filling lungs with black goo, vaping may also affect fetal skull development. Startling new research indicates that even without nicotine, in utero exposure to two primary ingredients in e-cigarettes can alter fetal development, specifically skull shape. E-cigarettes typically contain fewer chemicals … Read more
They’re too wellness-obsessed to spark a Marlboro, but Gen Z is popping open Diet Cokes like they’re nicotine patches in a can. The latest viral vice lighting up TikTok? The “fridge cigarette” — a.k.a. a crisp can of DC, straight from the fridge, enjoyed with all the ceremonial reverence of a smoke break, minus the … Read more
Here’s something to puff on. Heated tobacco devices are gaining traction in the United States, with many advocates claiming they’re a better alternative to traditional cigarettes. Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an assistant professor of health promotion and policy at UMass Amherst, and her colleagues sifted through dozens of studies to see if the science supports the … Read more
A single cigarette now and then may not kill you — but according to new research, each one will take an average of 19.5 minutes off your life. The study, conducted at University College London, determined that women lose 22 minutes and men 17 minutes for every cigarette they smoke. But there’s good news: Quitting … Read more
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month — an estimated 235,000 new cases of lung cancer and 125,000 deaths are expected to occur this year in the US. Dr. Daniel Sterman, the division director for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at NYU Langone Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine, talked with us about the … Read more
A Virginia woman was experiencing no troubling symptoms when she went for a cancer screening afte 35 years of smoking — but when she was told she had lung cancer, she says she felt “blessed” and “grateful.” Barbara Rodriguez, 53, was smoking a cigarette while reading the Bible in December 2022 when she decided to … Read more
Pipe dream? Researchers say that 1.2 million lung cancer deaths worldwide could be prevented over 70 years by banning the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to people born between 2006 and 2010. “Lung cancer is a major killer worldwide, and a staggering two-thirds of deaths are linked to one preventable risk factor — … Read more
A pensioner has reached her 100th birthday despite smoking 20 cigarettes a day for most of her life — as doctors hail her ”clear lungs and heart sound as a bell.” Mary ‘Molly’ Repper, who only gave up the habit at the age of 95, was joined at Weston View Care Home in Moray in … Read more
Even “light smoking” — defined as just one or two cigarettes a day — can be a real drag on pregnancy, causing “major health problems” for the newborn, researchers warn in a new study. Though smoking during pregnancy is known to raise the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, restricted fetal growth and other … Read more