Smoking more harmful to women than men
Summary of a story from The Irish Examiner, August 11, 2011
Women who smoke are 25 per cent more likely than men who smoke to suffer from heart disease, according to research.
Biological differences between the sexes are thought to account for chemicals in tobacco smoke having a more adverse effect on women.
The research, carried out in the USA, studied data on approximately four million individuals from 86 studies.
A woman’s extra risk increases by 2 per cent for every additional year she smokes.
Authors Dr Rachel Huxley, from the University of Minnesota, and Dr Mark Woodward, from Johns Hopkins University, of Maryland, wrote: “Present trends in female smoking, and this report, suggest that inclusion of a female perspective in tobacco-control policies is crucial.”
This research comes at a time when tobacco companies are specifically targeting women with slim, slickly-designed packs.
As a recent ex-smoker (nearly two years now) this is predictably depressing news.