Smoking and Tobacco News

Exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood may increase the risk for rheumatoid arthritis as an adult among patients who later become light smokers — and potentially those who never become smokers — according to findings published in Rheumatology.

Parents who smoked had 40% greater odds of having children who were overweight or obese, according to findings recently published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Although cigarette use has been on a steady decline, hookah smoking has increased in certain populations — specifically young adults or college students and adolescents. According to researchers, social hookah smoking most commonly takes places in the home.

Long-term light smokers were at greater risk for obstructive lung disease, emphysema and lung function decline than heavy smokers who quit, according to findings recently presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference.

Of more than 7 million current and former heavy smokers eligible for screening, only 1.9% underwent screening in 2016, according to an analysis of national screening sites scheduled for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

The American Cancer Society released a position statement that cautiously accepts electronic cigarettes as less harmful than combustible tobacco products for smokers who are unwilling or unable to quit using FDA-approved cessation aids.

A small pilot study showed that the gut microbiota composition in people who used e-cigarettes was essentially the same as that of non-smokers, while tobacco smokers showed significant and potentially harmful microbial differences.

The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission today issued 13 warning letters to companies selling nicotine-containing liquids, or “e-liquids,” used in e-cigarettes that include misleading labeling or advertising, causing the products to appear similar to kid-friendly products, including juice boxes, candy or cookies.

Among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, smoking history is not associated with the presence of anti-peptidylarginine deiminase 4 antibodies, which have been linked to more severe disease activity, according to findings published in Arthritis Research and Therapy.

Cigarette smoking is a strong risk factor for higher left ventricular mass and systolic dysfunction and HF hospitalization among black adults, according to new data published in Circulation.