About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Novel Test may Help Improvise Quitting Strategies for Smokers

by Savitha C Muppala on August 30, 2010 at 10:36 PM
 Novel Test may Help Improvise Quitting Strategies for Smokers

A new test may help in the development of better strategies for smokers to kick the habit.

Scientists said that it provides a much more accurate estimate of exposure than using automated cigarette smoking machines to estimate mainstream smoke deliveries, which traditionally have been used.

Advertisement

"Historically, our knowledge about the amounts of carcinogens, nicotine, and tar produced by cigarettes is based on data from smoking machines," Clifford Watson explained.

"Those machines do not smoke cigarettes in the same way as people. Smokers may inhale large puff volumes or take more puffs per cigarette than the fixed regimen a smoking machine uses. Our method avoids those pitfalls and provides an actual 'mouth level'? rather than a 'machine-level' ? profile of smokers' exposure to the harmful substances in tobacco smoke," he said.
Advertisement

Potential future applications include examining a smoker's daily cigarette-to-cigarette consumption pattern and developing an optimized smoking cessation program based on an individual's pattern.

It would also be possible to develop individualized plans for quitting that are custom-tailored to each individual's smoking pattern to improve cessation rates.

Watson and colleagues based the method on previous research involving a substance naturally present in tobacco called solanesol. During smoking, a fraction of the solanesol deposits in the cigarette filters and serves as a good surrogate "marker" for other compounds in the mainstream smoke that smokers draw in their mouths.

Watson reasoned that measurements of this one compound could be used to gauge a smoker's exposure to numerous other chemicals in the more than 7,000 chemicals present in cigarette smoke.

Their findings indicate that measuring solanesol does provide a quick, inexpensive way to estimate a smoker's total exposure, in a way that more closely reflects their natural smoking habits.

Even cigarettes that are labeled as "low tar" or "light" are unsafe, prompting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recently ban tobacco companies from using these terms on cigarette packaging.

"There's no such thing as a safe cigarette," Watson cautioned.

"The only proven means to reduce your health risk from tobacco use is to quit."

Source: ANI
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest General Health News

Hawk Data Pro: An Essential One Health Surveillance Tool for Rabies Management
Implementing the Hawk Data Pro system as a passive surveillance tool enabled us to record an ongoing rabies outbreak within a major Indian metropolis.
Wild Poliovirus Resurfaces in Pakistan
The Pakistan Ministry has announced the commencement of a nationwide polio vaccination campaign beginning on October 2, aiming to immunize more children.
US Woman Loses All Limbs in Fish-Related Bacterial Outbreak
In a tragic incident, a woman in the US experienced the loss of all her limbs as a result of a bacterial outbreak linked to the consumption of contaminated fish.
NIH Launches the First In-Human Universal Flu Vaccine Trial
FluMos-v2, a unique universal influenza vaccine candidate, undergoing a phase 1 trial at NIH, increases recipients' immunity against many influenza viruses.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative Assesses Vaccination Strategies in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the polio campaign focuses on more than 270,000 children under the age of five years, residing in areas with insufficient vaccine coverage.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Novel Test may Help Improvise Quitting Strategies for Smokers Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests