N E W S

Vol 15, No. 1      LINCARE is a National Supplier of Home
Winter '03          Oxygen and Respiratory Therapy Services

Smoking Menthols May Cause Greater Health Risks

Smoking menthol cigarettes may pose even more health risks than smoking regular cigarettes. A new study shows that a byproduct of nicotine stays in the body longer in women who smoke menthol cigarettes than in those who smoke non-menthol cigarettes. Previous research has suggested that ethnicity could be a cause for cotinine, the major breakdown product of nicotine, to stay in the body longer because blacks consistently register higher cotinine levels than white smokers, says study author Karen Ahijevych. Blacks also smoke more menthol cigarettes than do whites; previous research has shown that at least two out of three black smokers smoke menthols compared to only one in four white smokers. Researchers say the findings suggest that cigarette preference rather than race may play a role in the higher-than-expected rates of smoking-related deaths found among blacks, who are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes.

- Health Scout News

Damage Already Done So Why Quit?

Despite suffering from chronic lung and other ailments, millions of Americans ignore warnings from their physicians and continue smoking. A study by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that nearly 38% of people with the chronic lung disease emphysema still smoke, as do almost 25% of those with asthma. And the agency said that the patients continued smoking even though at least 60% of them said they had been told by a doctor to stop within the last year.

The report also noted that 20% of people with high blood pressure or heart problems continue to smoke, as do 18.5 percent of people with diabetes, diseases that affect millions more Americanssome people who develop disease take the attitude that the damage is already done so they may as well continue to enjoy cigarettes. But, research has shown that it's always beneficial to stop smoking. Overall, the report found that 23.1% of adult Americans smoke.

December 25, 2002 AP Medical

Five Minute Soup
Serves 6

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, heated
• 1/2 medium cucumber or 1 medium zucchini, sliced very thin
• 4 fresh medium mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups shredded fresh spinach, lettuce, or cabbage
• 1 medium tomato, cubed
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken or lean meat, shredded

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a large suacepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Study Questions
Drinking-Lung Cancer Link

Light to moderate drinking of alcoholic beverages does not increase the risk of lung cancer, according to a study that involved more than 9,000 people over two generations. The study, appearing in the journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that people who consume one to two alcoholic drinks a day have no greater chance of developing lung cancer than do nondrinkers. Data from the study was adjusted so that the effects of smoking, known to be the major cause of lung cancer, were statistically eliminated as a factor in the conclusion, the researchers report. Alcohol drinking has been associated with lung cancer in some past studies, but the findings are considered by some experts to be uncertain because drinking and tobacco smoke exposure often go together. The new study attempts to avoid this problem by removing the confounding effects of smoking, the researchers report.

- Associated Press 2002

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