Posted by on January 10, 2014 - 3:37pm

In the January of 1964, the Surgeon General made its first report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Yesterday, the CDC announced a new triumph in the war against lung cancer by announcing that the rate of new lung cancer cases have decreased among men and women in the United States since 2005. Lung cancer incidence rates decreased 2.6% per year among men, and 1.1% per year among women. While, generally, this is a significant victory, the differing rates between men and women are troubling.

For many years, the female population was not smoking at the same rate as the male population, but the CDC stated, “smoking behaviors among women are now similar to those among men,” so “women are now experiencing the same risk of lung cancer as men.” If women have the same risk as men, it is troubling, therefore, that efforts to decrease new cancer incidences in women is declining at a slower rate than in men. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States, and sex-based research must be conducted to determine why women seem to be lagging behind men in these decreased incidences.

The CDC attributes these decreased rates to tobacco prevention and control programs. The CDC calls for a continued emphasis on local, state, and national tobacco prevention strategies to mitigate future lung cancer diagnoses. Some strategies that have been accredited to this reduced incidence rate are increased tobacco prices, smoke-free laws, restricted tobacco advertising, and a slew of mass media campaigns against smoking.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Posted by on October 12, 2011 - 1:26pm

Smoking is definitely a risk factor for heart disease but until recently it was not known if this risk was higher in women.   Study results published in Lancet in August 2011 suggest that the risk of heart disease due to smoking is higher in women.

The large meta analysis suggested that the harmful effects of tobacco smoking affect men and women differently.  In a study of more than two million people, researchers showed that the pooled adjusted female-to-male relative risk of coronary heart disease in smokers vs nonsmokers is 25% higher in women. If anything, said Dr. Rachel Huxley from University of Minnesota, the 25% increased risk may be on the conservative side.  Women have not been smoking as long as men, so the true impact on women's health may not have manifested yet.

Of particular concern are the increasing number of young girls starting to smoke compared to young boys.   ALERT:   Young ladies who start smoking, you might think you look cool now but you won't look so cool when you get older and are walking around with an oxygen tank!