Genes influence smoking addiction: study
Posted: 26 April 2010 0856 hrs
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PARIS: Starting smoking and addiction to it could be driven to a large degree by your genes, a trio of studies published on Sunday suggested.
Researchers reported that single yet widely prevalent changes in the DNA code on several chromosomes were associated with a range of smoking habits.
The papers, published online in the journal Nature Genetics, are based on a trawl through the genome of more than 140,000 people, gathering smokers and non-smokers.
A flag was raised over a variant on a gene on Chromosome 11 that was strongly linked to smoking initiation, and another on Chromosome 9 that was associated with quitting smoking.
People with variants of genes on Chromosomes 8 and 19 were likelier to smoke more cigarettes -- about half a cigarette extra per day -- and run a 10-per cent higher risk of lung cancer compared to non-carriers, another of the studies added.
The findings add to a basket of known gene variants linked to smoking vulnerability.
Together, they contribute towards diagnostic tools to identify people who may have a high inherited risk from tobacco.
"Smoking is bad for anyone's health," said Kari Stefansson, head of deCODE, an Icelandic company which specialises in genomic data-mining and which led one of the papers.
"It is even worse for some, and today's discoveries continue to strengthen our ability to identify whose those people are and giving them a compelling reason to quit."
Still unclear is the metabolic pathway by which these genes confer the risk, said Stefansson.
The link between lung cancer and smoking has been established for more than half a century.
But scientists are still trying to answer why there remain big variations in how much people smoke, their ease in kicking the habit and susceptibility to disease.
Premature deaths attributable to tobacco smoking are expected to rise to 6.4 million in 2015 and 8.3 million in 2030, according to research published in 2007 in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine. - AFP/fa
Serene Chow Hui wen
Personally, I am not a fan of smoking. I strongly think that smoking is bad for health, smoking is not cool. In the past, whenever I walk pass anyone smoking, I will ask myself this question, ‘Don’t they know that smoking is bad for their health? Have they ever thought of quitting smoke?’ I have a friend, when he was asked whether he have ever wanted to quit smoking, he replied that smoking was mind refreshing and he will never ever quit smoking.
Until i read this article, I always have the mentality that if people put in effort in quitting smoking, they can do it. But in reality, not everyone can quit smoking so easily. They need to have more of chromosome 9 if they want to quit smoking because as reported, Chromosome 9 is associated with quitting smoking.
Also certain chromosomes affect people in different ways. Chromosomes 8 and 19 were likelier to smoke more cigarettes, whereas Chromosome 11 that was strongly linked to smoking initiation. This really educated me on the facts about our body, how our chromosomes affect how humans look at smoking. Now, i still cannot believe that smokers who started smoking reason mainly are that they have more of a certain chromosomes present in them.
I didn't know that people start smoking because of the different chromosomes present in their body. But I personally feel that no matter which chromosomes are in your body, you should at least have discipline to not smoke as not only it is bad for their health but also for others. Passive smokers have higher risk of getting lung problems as they breathe in too much smoke puffed out by smokers. Smoking could also affect one's performance physically, mentally and emotionally. Smokers are always tired no matter how many hours of rest they had. Great effort, serene! :D
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with Serene too . Smoking is bad . But somehow , smokers themselves are aware of it too . But they still smoke . What’s the problem ? Why do they still smoke , still knowing that smoking is bad . I have a friend of mine , who had been smoking since Primary 6 till now . He told me that smoking is nice . It tends to somehow distress yourself . But I don’t think this analogy is right . Because it’s bullshit . And yeah , like what Serene had said . Smokers also say they will quit . They can say this for umpteen times . They will be smoking either a stick or two . This is contradicting . Well . Let’s leave to the smokers to decide on how long they’re gonna live .
ReplyDeleteSmoking is certainly bad for health and I don’t think that those who smoke knows the side effect of smoking. I agree to Serene’s point of view. Smokers do not know the negative effect they do to themselves and also to the people around them. They should think of the non-smokers around them before they even smoke.
ReplyDeleteFaeezah:
ReplyDeleteEveryone is aware that smoking is bad for one's body, mind, and definitely health, but they disregard the fact. Youngsters now days smoke because they want to appear 'cool' and 'mature'. It will be difficult for them to quit smoking once they reached adulthood. Because of the genes which is turned on once they smoke and nicotine, a poisonous chemical which is extracted from the tobacco plant to which smokers can be addicted.
Prevention is better than cure. They should have a strong will to prevent smoking at the first place. And should not follow 'trends' as this will cause damage to body and distress, in future.