Fifty-seven social and behavioral factors have been identified as the top contributors to increased mortality. Of those, smoking, divorce, and alcohol abuse are the top factors that are associated with a reduced lifespan. Read More
Age, sex, and gender influence the organization of the brain's opioid system. Findings shed light on why there are significant differences between the opioid system on an individual level, and why some are more prone to developing opioid-linked pathologies than others. Read More
Smoking increases the gene expression of ACE2, a protein that binds to SARS-CoV-2, increasing the risk of coronavirus infection. Findings suggest long-term smokers could have an increase of ACE2 in the lungs, leading to higher rates of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. Read More
Smoking remodels the gene expression of lung cells so that the ACE2 gene is more highly expressed in goblet cells. The effects of smoking on ACE2 pulmonary expression indicates an increase in the overall entry points for coronavirus and increases the risk for viral binding and entry of COVID-19 into the lungs. Read More
Study implicated the Slit3 gene in nicotine addiction. Read More
Sadness, but not all negative emotions, heighten cravings to smoke and increases the likelihood of relapse. Read More
Was your New Year's resolution to ditch a bad habit? Researchers explore the best ways to curb your withdrawal and explain why relapse isn't always such a bad thing. Read More
Smoking causes white matter scarring in the brain, and the effects do more harm than previously believed. Read More
The link between smoking, depression, and schizophrenia is due, in part, to a causal effect of tobacco use. Findings reveal that smoking increased the risk of schizophrenia and depression. Additionally, depression and schizophrenia increased the likelihood of a person becoming nicotine dependent. Read More
In addition to being detrimental to general health, heavy smoking has a causal effect on facial aging. Heavy smoking affects facial attractiveness and spurs earlier and increased skin wrinkling. Read More
Disputing other findings, researchers report there is no direct link between inflammation and depression. The study reports depression may only have a link to inflammation as a result of specific lifestyle features, such as smoking or obesity. Read More
Smokers exposed to individual cigarettes with public health warnings written on them felt the products were offputting and depressing. When surveyed, those who smoke said printing messages on cigarettes would prolong the health message and had the potential to discourage smoking in young people. Read More
