Smoking Group Research Articles

Effet du tabagisme sur le profil clinique et allergologique de la dermatite de contact

Several clinical and epidemiological data point to a possible link between smoking exposure and contact dermatitis (CD). To identify the clinical and epidemiological differences of CD in smoking and non-smoking subjects, and to determine the influence of smoking on the allergological profile of CD. Retrospective descriptive study who consulted the Department of Occupational Medicine and Occupational Pathology of the Farhat Hached University Hospital of Sousse (Tunisia) during a period of 8 years for exploration of CD and who were tested with the European Standard Battery (ESB). A total of 767 patients were enrolled during the study period, 40% of whom were smokers. The group of smokers was characterized by a male predominance (p=10-3) and a greater professional seniority compared to non-smokers (p=0.01). Personal history of atopy was predominant in non-smokers (p=0.02). Among the ESB allergens, there was a significant association between smoking and CD due to metals (chromium, cobalt) and conservatives. After binary logistic regression, the variables associated with smoking exposure were male gender (OR=12.12 ; 95% CI=[6.07 - 24.21]; p=10-3), Kathon CG allergy (OR=3.69 ; 95% CI=[1.24 - 10.81]; p=0.018), and right hand involvement (OR= 2.83; 95% CI=[1.29 - 6.17]; p=0.005). Our study revealed an effect of smoking on the clinical and allergological characteristics of CD.

Demographic, biochemical, clinical,and cognitivesymptomdifferences between smokersandnon-smokersin Chineseoldermale patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Several studies have suggested that smoking may impair cognitive function and worsen psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia, but the results have not been consistent. There have been few studies to date that have examined the effects of smoking in older men with chronic schizophrenia. The participants in our study consisted of 167 order Chinese males with chronic schizophrenia and 359 normal control subjects. We split them into smoking and non-smoking groups based on whether or not they smoked. Second, we compared their differences in terms of general demographic characteristics (such as age, education, body mass index, age of illness onset, and course of disease), disease information (such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia), lifestyle factors (such as physical exercise and lunch break), blood biochemical indicators (such as albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and fasting blood glucose), and medication usage (such as clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and chlorpromazine). Lastly, a neuropsychologicaltestbattery was used to assess their psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, for example, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess their overall cognitive functioning. Their depressive symptoms were assessed by the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Activities of daily living (ADL) were used to assess their ability to lead a daily life, while the positive and negative syndrome scales (PANSS) were used to assess their psychiatric symptoms. Smokers who develop schizophrenia at older ages had a higher body mass index than non-smokers. We also found that plasma albumin, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher in smokers. In contrast, smokers with schizophrenia also had lower PANSS total scores, negative symptom scores, and general psychopathology scores. A forward stepwise binary logistics regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between negative symptom scores and smoking status (B = 0.112, p < 0.001, OR = 1.119, 95% confidence interval: 1.059-1.181). Correlation analysis was carried out and it was found that the amount of cigarette consumption per day had a negative correlation with plasma albumin level(r = -0.290, p = 0.004). However, no such association was found in normal controls. Elderly Chinese men with schizophrenia have a higher percentage of smokers, and although smoking can reduce their plasma albumin levels, it does contribute to the prevention of negative symptoms.

Contribution of small airway inflammation to the development of COPD

BackgroundLittle attention has been paid to the pathophysiological changes in the natural history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The destructions of the small airways were visualized on thoracic micro-computed tomography scan. We investigated whether small airway inflammation (SAI) was the risk for the development of COPD.MethodsA total of 1062 patients were enrolled and analyzed in the study. The partitioned airway inflammation was determined by exhaled nitric oxide (NO) of FnNO, FeNO50, FeNO200, and calculated CaNOdual. Both FeNO200 and CaNOdual were compared to detect the promising predictor for peripheral airway/alveolar inflammation in COPD. The correlation between exhaled NO and white cell classification was evaluated to determine the inflammation type during the development of COPD.ResultsExhaled NO levels (FnNO, FeNO50, FeNO200, and CaNOdual) were the highest in the COPD group compared with all other groups. Furthermore, compared with controls, exhaled NO levels (FeNO50, FeNO200, and CaNOdual) were also significantly higher in the emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and smoking groups. FeNO200 was found to be a promising predictor for peripheral airway/alveolar inflammation (area under the curve [AUC] of the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve, area under the curve [AUC] = 0.841) compared with CaNOdual (AUC ROC = 0.707) in COPD. FeNO200 was the main risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 2.191; 95% CI, 1.797–2.671; p = 0.002) for the development of COPD. The blood eosinophil and basophil levels were correlated with FeNO50 and FeNO200.ConclusionThe complete airway inflammations were shown in COPD, whereas SAI was the main risk factor for the development of COPD, which might relate to eosinophil and basophil levels.

Factors Affecting Health-Promoting Behaviors in Patients Diagnosed with Myocardial Infarction

Background: Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI), represent a significant global health burden, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. Health-promoting behaviors (HBs) play a crucial role in the management and prevention of MI, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality rates among affected individuals. Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health-promoting behaviors among patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction and to evaluate the level of engagement in such behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from September 2022 to June 2023. The study population consisted of 318 patients diagnosed with MI (ST and non-STEMI), selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, health behavior data using the Song-and-Lee Health Behaviors Checklist, and analyzed using SPSS version 25 for descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Results: The overall mean score of health-promoting behaviors among participants was 2.14 ± 0.21, indicating a moderate level of engagement. The highest mean score was observed in eating behaviors (2.26 ± 0.34), while the lowest was in health responsibility (2.00 ± 0.40). Gender and smoking status significantly influenced health-promoting behaviors, with females and non-smokers exhibiting better HB scores. Significant differences in HBs were noted across gender, co-morbidity, and history of hospitalization, but not within age, BMI, and smoking groups. Conclusion: The study concluded that myocardial infarction patients exhibit a moderate level of engagement in health-promoting behaviors, with significant variations influenced by gender and smoking status. There is a need for targeted nursing strategies to enhance health-promoting behaviors, particularly focusing on dietary habits, smoking cessation, and health responsibility among MI patients.

The Role of Nicotine Metabolic Rate on Nicotine Dependence and Rewarding: Nicotine Metabolism in Chinese Male Smokers and Male Mice.

The exact relationship between nicotine metabolism and dependence is not fully understood but is known to be influenced at a molecular level by genetic factors. A sample comprising 274 Chinese adult male smokers was categorized into groups based on their metabolic rates, namely fast, intermediate, and slow metabolizers. We then measured their smoking topography, evaluated their nicotine dependence, and assessed the rewarding effects. Based on these findings, we proposed the hypothesis that the rate of nicotine metabolism could influence the level of dopamine release which in turn had repercussions on the pleasurable and rewarding effects. To test this hypothesis, male mice were selected with different nicotine metabolic rates that closely resembled in the smoker group. We evaluated their nicotine dependence and rewarding effects through conditioned place preference and withdrawal symptom tests, supplemented with dopamine release measurements. In both animal and human, the slow metabolism group (SMG) required less nicotine to maintain a comparable level of dependence than the fast metabolism group (FMG). The SMG could achieve similar rewarding effects to FMG despite consuming less nicotine. Comparable dopamine levels released were therefore critical in setting the nicotine acquisition behavior in this animal model and also for the smokers tested. Our findings suggested that even within the same ethnicity of established smokers (Chinese Han), differences in nicotine metabolism were an important parameter to modulate the degree of nicotine dependence.

Evaluation of micronuclei, cytomorphometric and cytologic changes of the oral mucosa in hookah and cigarette smokers

To analyze the effect of hookah and cigarettes on the oral mucosa of smokers through the use of exfoliative cytology. Smear samples were collected by exfoliative cytology from the tongue of 33 hookah smokers, 22 cigarette smokers, and 30 non-smokers. The selected analyses include micronuclei (MN), metanuclear anomalies, epithelial maturation, and cytomorphology (nuclear area [NA], cytoplasmic area [CA], and NA/CA ratio). The largest differences observed for MN and metanuclear anomalies were between cigarette smokers and the control group (notably 1 MN P = .04; total cells with MN P = .039; total MN P = .042; karyorrhexis and binucleation, P = .0001). The hookah group, compared with the control group, showed the greatest differences for karyolysis (P = .0023), binucleation (P = .0003), and broken egg (P = .008). Significant differences were found between the smokers and the control groups regarding changes in the superficial cell without nucleus, perinuclear halo, vacuolization, color change, mucus, and keratohyalin granules. There was a significant increase in the NA and NA/CA ratio in the smoker groups. This study showed that a combined analysis of exfoliative cytology associated with other diagnostic methods is a useful tool for studying oral carcinogenesis. Hookah and cigarettes showed similar effects in terms of displaying substantial cytogenetic and cytotoxic damage.

EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON PROTEINS LEVEL IN SERA OF IRAQI CIGARETTE SMOKERS

Smoking is a chronic and progressive disease that is also communicable, causing harm to every organ of the body. Material and method This study compared (17) narghile smokers to (18) non-smokers. After measuring total serum protein, albumin, globulins, and albumin/globulin ratio, SPSS was used to assess statistical differences between the two groups. All biochemical parameters were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The results obtained show that total serum protein was significantly decreased in smokers (5.833±0.255) compared to the non-smokers (6.139±0.535). Insignificant decrease in albumin (3.824±0.354) concentration in smokers group compare to the non-smokers group (4.061±0.485), while no significant difference was noted in both groups (smokers and nonsmokers) in globulins concentration (2.009±0.226 and 2.078±0.281, respectively). No significant differences between smokers and non-smokers group for A/G ratio, (1.941±0.379 and 1.994±0.420, respectively) were observed Conclusion The current study showed that cigarette smoking lowers blood protein levels, therefore extended smoking may pose greater dangers

Genetic CYP2A6 Polymorphism May Worsen Glycohemoglobin Levels: Study among Javanese Indonesian Smokers

We have examined the inactive CYP2A6 alleles gene, including CYP2A6*4, CYP2A6*7, and CYP2A6*9, associated with glycohemoglobin levels among Javanese Indonesian smokers. There are 106 smokers participating in this study. Due to the number of cigarettes smoked per day, there are three groups of smokers: light, intermediate, and heavy smokers, with 98.7% being light and intermediated smokers while the rest are heavy smokers. All participants had smoked for more than 10 years, indicating they had been exposed to nicotine for a long time. Based on their genotype, there were four groups of smokers, including fast, intermediate, slow, and poor metabolizers. Most fast and intermediate metabolizers have HbA1c levels in the normal range (&lt;5.7). On the other hand, most slow metabolizers have Hb1c levels &gt;5.7, and all fast metabolizers have HbA1c levels &gt;5,7, indicating that they the prediabetes and diabetes. The chi-square test showed a relationship between CYP2A6 polymorphism and HbA1c levels among the participants (P-value 0.000 &lt;0.005 and χ2=54.6, df=1). The presence of an inactive allele will worsen the HbA1c levels in smokers.

Use of air things radon detector in liquid samples (serum and urine)

This study involved the assessment of 222Rn concentrations in liquid samples (namely serum and urine) obtained from individuals who were smokers and non-smokers across five distinct age groups in the Najaf Governorate of Iraq. The measurements were conducted using a portable digital Air Things device commonly employed for detecting radon gas in residential environments. This device was placed in a container that is placed in liquid samples, which makes it work to capture the existing radon. The mean value of radon concentrations in serum and urine samples for smokers was 5.64 ± 2.80 Bq/m3 and 3.56 ± 2.31 Bq/m3, respectively. While, the mean value of radon concentrations in serum and urine samples for non-smokers was 2.32 ± 0.67 Bq/m3 and 1.61 ± 1.00 Bq/m3, respectively. By comparing the radon concentrations for serum and urine samples with age and smoking groups, the value of P-Value (p < 0.01) was increased significantly statistically. Also, it is found that a positive and good correlation for radon concentrations between serum and urine. Although the levels of radon were found to be under the globally accepted thresholds, the results of 222Rn in all samples of serum and urine in smokers were higher than in non-smokers. Thus, it may be concluded that cigarette smoking is used as a biomarker of the presence of radon gas.

Length of Postoperative Hospital Stay and Related Factors After Lobectomy for Lung Cancer: A Pre-enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Single Center Assessment.

Lobectomy for lung cancer often presents a lot of potentially severe complications after surgery for patients. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a program to improve unexpected events. When implementing ERAS, there needs to be evidence of relevant factors that prolong hospital stays to encourage the participation of medical staff and leaders. This study is to determine the length of hospital stay (LOS) and its related factors after surgery in patients undergoing lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. A descriptive retrospective study was conducted on 99 patients undergoing lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City. Data were extracted from a computerized database of patients who were hospitalized for lobectomy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer from January 2018 to December 2021. The primary outcome was the postoperative LOS. Median postoperative LOS was 5.2 days (interquartile range 4.8 to 6.8 days). The complication rate was 19.2%, of which Clavien-Dindo II accounted for the highest at 9.1%. The 30-day readmission rate was 13.1%. The median of LOS in the current cigarette smoker's group was 1.9 days higher than the never-cigarette smoker's group and 1.5 days higher than the former cigarette smokers (p<0.001). Tumor-nodes-metastasis (TNM) stage III showed the highest LOS compared to other stages (p=0.029). Open surgery and thoracoscopic conversion to open showed postoperative LOS about two days longer than thoracoscopic surgery (p<0.001). ​Performing muscle relaxation and early extubation, multimodal analgesia reduced postoperativeLOS by 1.6 days (p<0.001), and preoperative physical therapy and early physical therapy at recovery reduced postoperative LOS by 1.3 days (p<0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between the duration of endotracheal retention, duration of thoracic drainage, amount of blood loss, and postoperative LOS (R>0.5, p<0.001). The duration of the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and fasting time after surgery showed an average positive correlation with postoperative LOS (0.3<R<0.5, p<0.001). Preoperative fasting time had a weak positive correlation with postoperative LOS (R=0.265, p=0.008). The median postoperative LOS was 5.2 days, and more than half of patients stayed in the hospital for over five days. Some factors affect the LOS, including current cigarette smokers, TNM stage, surgical approaches, some care processes such as early extubation, multimodal pain relief, physical therapy, vomiting,duration of thoracic drainage, amount of blood loss, duration of Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (hours), duration of thoracic drainage (days), preoperative and postoperative fasting time (hours).The study results help propose many changes in perioperative care for patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.

Comparison of Heavy Metals in Urine Samples of Smoker and Non-smoker Persons.

In this study, the concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in the two groups of cigarette smokers and non-smokers in five age range groups were measured. Heavy metal concentrations were collected in participants' urine samples and analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The results showed that the concentrations of these metals in the urine of smokers were higher than in non-smoker subjects. The mean concentration of Cd, Cr, and Pb for smokers were 1.188 ± 0.931, 1.929 ± 0.940, and 0.069 ± 0.023, respectively, while the mean concentration of Cd, Cr, and Pb for non-smokers were 0.151 ± 0.165, 0.203 ± 0.218, and 0.037 ± 0.030, respectively. The results revealed statistically significant differences when comparing the samples of smokers to the control group in all heavy metals in the present study. Also, the results revealed statistically significant differences in Cd, Cr, and Pb when comparing the samples of smokers to age groups. The trend of metals in urine samples in two groups (smokers and non-smokers) is as follows: Cd > Cr > Pb. The concentration of Cd, Cr, and Pb in all samples of the present study was higher than the biological limit, according to ACGIH. Therefore, Cd, Cr, and Pb were the most critical metals accumulated in the urine of cigarette smokers.

The Relation Between Cigarette Smoking and Development of Sepsis: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study of Four Million Adults from the National Health Screening Program

BackgroundSepsis remains a growing global health concern with soaring mortality and no direct anti-sepsis drug. Although smoking has distinct deleterious effects on chronic inflammatory illnesses and can impair immune function, a comprehensive analysis of the connection between sepsis and smoking is lacking.MethodsThis large-scale longitudinal cohort study retrospectively assessed adults aged ≥ 20 years who underwent national health checkups under the Korean National Health Insurance Service between January and December 2009 (N = 4,234,415) and were followed up for 10 years. Sepsis was identified based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes, and smoking status, including accumulated amount, was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used, adjusting for age, sex, household income, body mass index, drinking, exercise, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic renal disease.ResultsAfter excluding cases with sepsis occurring before follow-up or after ≤ 1 year of follow-up, 3,881,958 participants, including non-smokers (N = 2,342,841), former smokers (N = 539,850), and active smokers (N = 999,267), were included. Compared to non-smokers, all active smokers (adjust hazard ratio: 1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.38–1.44) and former smokers (1.10, 1.07–1.14) with ≥ 20 pack-years exhibited a significantly higher risk of sepsis (p < 0.001). Smoking of ≥ 30 pack-years in former and active smokers groups significantly increased sepsis incidence (adjust hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.34 [1.31–1.38], p < 0.001).ConclusionsSmoking is closely associated with the incidence of sepsis. Smoking cessation may help in the primary prevention of sepsis.

Gender, smoking, and tobacco cessation with pharmacological treatment in a cluster randomized clinical trial.

Whether men find it easier to quit smoking than women is still controversial. Different studies have reported that the efficacy of pharmacological treatments could be different between men and women. This study conducted a secondary analysis of 'Subsidized pharmacological treatment for smoking cessation by the Spanish public health system' (FTFT-AP study) to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug-funded intervention for smoking cessation by gender. A pragmatic randomized clinical trial by clusters was used. The population included smokers aged ≥18 years, smoking >10 cigarettes per day, randomly assigned to an intervention group receiving regular practice and financed pharmacological treatment, or to a control group receiving only regular practice. The main outcome was continued abstinence at 12 months, self-reported and validated with CO-oximetry. The percentage, with 95% confidence intervals, of continued abstinence was compared between both groups at 12 months post-intervention, by gender and the pharmacological treatment used. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed. A total of 1154 patients from 29 healthcare centers were included. The average age was 46 years (SD=11.78) and 51.7% were men. Overall, the self-reported abstinence at 12 months was 11.1% (62) in women and 15.7% (93) in men (AOR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.0-2.0), and abstinence validated by CO-oximetry was 4.6% (26) and 5.9% (35) in women and men, respectively (OR=1.3; 95% CI: 0.7-2.2). In the group of smokers receiving nicotine replacement treatment, self-reported abstinence was higher in men compared to women (29.5% vs 13.5%, OR=2.7; 95% CI: 1.3-5.8). The effectiveness of a drug-financed intervention for smoking cessation was greater in men, who also showed better results in self-reported abstinence with nicotine replacement treatment.

Associations of active and passive tobacco exposure with elevated blood pressure in Korean adolescents.

To test the hypothesis that tobacco exposure is associated with elevated blood pressure (EBP) in Korean adolescents, and that the association is dose dependent. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2011-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). Subjects were eligible if they were 13-18 years at the time of participation in KNHANES. Tobacco exposure was defined by urine cotinine level. The main outcomes were EBP and hypertension. Statistical analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.4 with appropriate sampling weights to account for the complex survey design, stratification, and cluster variable. A total of 2,518 adolescents was included in the analysis, representing 2.5 million Korean adolescents. The mean± standard deviation participant age was 15.3±1.7 years, and 55.3% were male. The number of participants with active tobacco smoke exposure was 283 (11.2%), passive tobacco smoke exposure was 145 (5.8%), and no smoke exposure was 2,090 (83.0%). Analysis of the 2,518 urine-cotinine-verified participants showed that tobacco smoke exposure had a significant effect on EBP: with an odds of elevated blood pressure of 3.00 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 7.89). The odds of hypertension were 3.61 (95% CI, 1.13 to 11.49) in the active smoking group compared with the no tobacco exposure group after adjustment for potential confounders. It is necessary to present a range of public health plans to reduce tobacco exposure that affects adolescents' blood pressure, and further research with a larger number of participants using urine cotinine as a biomarker is needed.

Smoking is associated with higher short-term risk of revision and mortality following primary hip or knee arthroplasty: a cohort study of 272,640 patients from the Dutch Arthroplasty Registry.

Patients actively smoking at the time of primary hip or knee arthroplasty are at increased risk of direct perioperative complications. We investigated the association between smoking status and risk of revision and mortality within 2 years following hip or knee arthroplasty. We used prospectively collected data from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register. All primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs), total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), and unicondylar knee arthroplasties (UKAs) with > 2 years' follow-up were included (THA: n = 140,336; TKA: n = 117,497; UKA: n = 14,807). We performed multivariable Cox regression analyses to calculate hazard risks for differences between smokers and non-smokers, while adjusting for confounders (aHR). The smoking group had higher risk of revision (THA: aHR 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.4 and TKA: aHR 1.4, CI 1.3-1.6) and risk of mortality (THA: aHR 1.4, CI 1.3-1.6 and TKA: aHR 1.4, CI 1.2-1.6). Following UKA, smokers had a higher risk of mortality (aHR 1.7, CI 1.0-2.8), but no differences in risk of revision were observed. The smoking group had a higher risk of revision for infection following TKA (aHR 1.3, CI 1.0-1.6), but not following THA (aHR 1.0, CI 0.8-1.2). This study showed that the risk of revision and mortality is higher for smokers than for non-smokers in the first 2 years following THA and TKA. Smoking could contribute to complications following primary hip or knee arthroplasty.

Smoking Habits and Nicotine Dependence Among the General Lebanese Population Before and During Both the Economic Crisis and COVID-19 Pandemic.

Smoking habits have widely changed over time; however, they remain a well-known fashion that risks people's health. In addition, nicotine addiction depends on the interplay between several factors. Our study aimed to understand the smoking habits and nicotine dependence in the Lebanese population before (September 2019) and during (June 2020) the economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. This observational cross-sectional survey-based study included 1560 Lebanese individuals aged between 13 and 75years old from June till October 2020. Data collection was performed through an electronic survey including patients' demographics and validated instruments to assess addiction to nicotine (CAGE, Four C's, Fagerström test, and Smoker's profile scores). Out of 1560 participants, 794 (50.9%) were males. The mean age was 26.5 ± 11.69years, and 67.8% were aged between 18 and 25years old. We found that 865 (55.4%) participants were smokers. In addition, smoking cigarettes or vaping, significantly increased between September 2019 and June 2020. Our smoker group showed a high CAGE positivity (P < .001), marked compulsion (P < .001), and a considerable lack of self-control to surcease smoking (P < .001). Furthermore, the nicotine dependence score (NDS) increased with age (B = .166) and decreased with higher educational levels (B = -.219). During the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lebanese population showed an increased prevalence of smoking, a high level of CAGE positivity, strong compulsion, and a significant lack of self-control when it came to quitting smoking. This strongly entails public health measures for smoking cessation through national awareness campaigns.

Determining the Short-term Effects of Smoking Cessation Using Nicotine Gum on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: A Pilot Study.

Nowadays, the adverse effects of smoking on general, oral, and dental health are reported time and again worldwide. However, evidence to quantify the effects of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) is inadequate. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the effects of nicotine gum on HRQoL and OHQoL of cigarette smokers. This pilot study was conducted on 40 smokers, half of whom received nicotine gum. HRQoL and OHQoL were measured twice at the beginning of the study and after three months using standard versions of Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5) questionnaires. T-test, Fischer's exact test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to compare the participants' scores on the questionnaires. The mean age of the participants was 43.39±12.32 years. Using nicotine gum significantly increased the scores of general health (P=0.046) and physical functioning (P=0.021) domains of HRQoL in comparison with the cigarette smoking group. Moreover, using nicotine gum significantly increased the scores of the two questions about the reduced sense of taste (P<0.001) and difficulty doing usual jobs (P=0.071). Using nicotine gum was associated with the improvement of HRQoL and OHQoL to some extent. To better understand the relationship between smoking cessation and improved OHQoL, it is necessary to conduct further studies in this field.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a Marker of Endothelial Dysfunction Confirmed Using Flow Mediated Dilatation in Active Smoker

Background: The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is thought to be the catalyst for endothelial dysfunction caused by smoking. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is a non-invasive method to identify the development of blood vessel endothelial dysfunction at an early stage. However, several studies have not sufficiently explained how smoking and IL-6 interact. Objective: This study focuses on the role of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the process of endothelial dysfunction confirmed using non-invasive modalities such as Flow Mediated Dilatation (FMD) in smokers related to the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future with the hope of providing insight in education to smokers to quit smoking. Material and Methods: In this study, we gathered 116 male participants, of which 56 were nonsmokers, and 60 were smokers, and we used IL-6 and FMD testing. SPSS for Windows version 23 will be used to analyze the data. Result: According to the analysis of laboratory tests, the average IL-6 level in light smokers was 67.7±3.2 and in moderate smokers it was 95.111.0; with a p-value of 0.009, indicating a significant difference among the groups. The average FMD in the smoking group was 5.4±0.4% (p-value 0.000), whereas the average FMD in the non-smoker samples was 10.9±0.9%. We also looked at the average FMD among light and moderate smokers based on Brinkman Index, which was 5.5±0.4% and 5.00.4%, with a p-value of 0.780, indicating no significant difference between the groups Conclusion: Compared to non-smokers, this study demonstrates a correlation between IL-6 and smoking activity. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of endothelial dysfunction and the degree of smoking dependence in this investigation.

Impact of first- and second-hand smoking on cardiac diseases in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: a preliminary cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Toxic agents from cigarette smoke can affect the cardiovascular system, especially coronary heart disease (CHD). The implication to the second-hand smoker was 80%–90%, similar to the first-hand smoker. This study aimed to provide preliminary data on the smoking effect among first- and second-hand smokers according to cardiac diseases in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.&#x0D; METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by prospectively collecting data from two secondary hospitals in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The collected data were descriptively analyzed to compare the first- and second-hand smokers to the variables. ANOVA or the Mann- Whitney Test, was also used to obtain the correlation of each variable across both smoking groups.&#x0D; RESULTS: Among the 101 participants, we found that smoking habits can have a similar or even higher impact among second-hand smokers compared to first-hand smokers with respect to congestive heart failure (CHF) diagnoses (48% vs. 56%), IHD diagnoses (36% vs. 27.9%), suffering chest pain (39.3% vs. 27.8%), and shortness of breath (38.7% vs. 33.3%).&#x0D; CONCLUSION: Smoking habits can increase the risk of CHD, especially CHF, and IHD, among first- and second-hand smokers. Indonesia's government should protect second-hand smokers and limit the exposure of first-hand smokers to cigarettes.

Developing a Cost-Effectiveness Model of Digital Therapeutics for Smoking Cessation.

The purpose of this research was to construct a Markov model of digital therapeutics to predict the lifetime costs and consequences that would be incurred by a hypothetical group of adult smokers in Korea who only made a single attempt to stop smoking. To determine the efficacy of DTx, we created an annual cycle Markov model. The result shows that the NRT strategy is determined as the dominant strategy. Digital therapeutics acts as a complement to pharmacotherapy and is a low-cost option.