I've had this blog for about a year now. I would like to share some of the search statistics with everyone. It might prove insightful in some way.
Top 3 search terms:
Smoking and Stents
Quit smoking look younger
Stop smoking look younger
Top 3 viewed postings:
Cardiac Stents and Smoking
Quit smoking and look younger
Smoker's Poem
I find it interesting that people are searching 1) about whether or not it is safe to keep smoking, even after they've had cardiac stents placed in their hearts and, 2) if they'll look younger if they stop smoking.
It seems people place a premium on vanity over their own personal health. That is pretty interesting. Anyway, just thought I'd share this result with you.
Showing posts with label smoking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smoking. Show all posts
Periodontal Risk Associated with Smoking
Sometimes I feel like I repeat myself on this blog. It seems like I'm always saying smoking is bad for you. Then I describe a study which tells the world that smoking is bad for you. Despite this, people still smoke. It's one of the great mysteries of the world. Why would someone smoke something that provides absolutely no physical or financial benefit. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Smoking causes so many horrific diseases and costs a ton of money.
Here's another one about periodontal disease out of India. It was published in Community of Dental Health in March 2011;28(1)89-94, by Bhagyajyothi and Pushpanjali and is titled "Assessment and comparison of periodontal status among young smokers and nonsmokers of Bangalore, India -- a cross sectional study". Okay, first of all, what is periodontal disease. We're talking the gums here. You see, there isn't supposed to be any gaps or pockets around your tooth. The gums are supposed to be snug up against the enamel. The bigger the gap or pocket, the worst periodontal disease you have. This can lead to tooth decay, abscesses, systemic infections and heart disease.
The pockets around the teeth should be 3 mm or less, according to my dentist. Anything greater than or equal to 4 mm's is bad. This study in India, looked at 1,081 men between the ages of 20 and 35. They all worked at the same factory and had access to two medical centers which were actually located on the factory campus. So all things being equal, who do you think had the worst periodontal disease - the male smokers at the factory or the male nonsmokers at the factory?
You're a genius. You guessed it on the first try! The smokers had the worst periodontal disease. Smokers had eight times the risk for having pockets measuring at least 4 mm and five times the risk for losing attachment. The researchers concluded that the extent and severity of the gum disease was directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked and how long they had smoked.
Maybe some day I'll find a study that says smoking is good for you. But until then, I'll keep bringing these studies to your attention. Perhaps one of them will resonate with you and make you think about quitting smoking. We can only hope.
Here's another one about periodontal disease out of India. It was published in Community of Dental Health in March 2011;28(1)89-94, by Bhagyajyothi and Pushpanjali and is titled "Assessment and comparison of periodontal status among young smokers and nonsmokers of Bangalore, India -- a cross sectional study". Okay, first of all, what is periodontal disease. We're talking the gums here. You see, there isn't supposed to be any gaps or pockets around your tooth. The gums are supposed to be snug up against the enamel. The bigger the gap or pocket, the worst periodontal disease you have. This can lead to tooth decay, abscesses, systemic infections and heart disease.
The pockets around the teeth should be 3 mm or less, according to my dentist. Anything greater than or equal to 4 mm's is bad. This study in India, looked at 1,081 men between the ages of 20 and 35. They all worked at the same factory and had access to two medical centers which were actually located on the factory campus. So all things being equal, who do you think had the worst periodontal disease - the male smokers at the factory or the male nonsmokers at the factory?
You're a genius. You guessed it on the first try! The smokers had the worst periodontal disease. Smokers had eight times the risk for having pockets measuring at least 4 mm and five times the risk for losing attachment. The researchers concluded that the extent and severity of the gum disease was directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked and how long they had smoked.
Maybe some day I'll find a study that says smoking is good for you. But until then, I'll keep bringing these studies to your attention. Perhaps one of them will resonate with you and make you think about quitting smoking. We can only hope.
Teenagers Smoking and Access to Cigarettes
Teenager smoking is a sad sight to see. It means the tobacco cycle continues with fresh new victims. But where do they get their cigarettes? My dad smoked, so when I experimented with smoking, I simply snuck a few from his half empty packs that were laying on top of the frig or end tables. Looking back on it now, I still don't know if he knew what I was doing. Now granted, I only did it for a very short time, like a couple of weeks. So I wonder if parents today realize it when their kids sneak cigarettes from them?
Perhaps there are other avenues that support teenage smoking? Maybe kids get others to buy them cigarettes, like they do beer. It's a real shame, because kids shouldn't be in that big of a hurry to grow up. To get a little off topic for a moment, it seems like kids want to do what adults do; they want the benefits that adults have; yet they don't want the responsibility or accountability that comes with it. But I digress.
So a study in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal recently e-published [2011 Apr. 2] "Access to Cigarettes by Daily Smokers in Florida's Public Middle Schools and High Schools" by Saunders, C. First of all, look at that title, yes it says "Middle Schools"! That's right around the age I was during my brief and horrid experiment. I hope this doesn't surprise anyone. Drug experimentation occurs very early in our youth. This includes alcohol, marijuana, smoking and I'm sure a host of other nastiness that will lead the poor unsuspecting child to ruin. Anyway, this research looks at the access to cigarettes available to teenagers and their attitude toward smoking.
Saunders found that daily smoking intensity was dependent on access. For example, teenage boys who got their cigarettes from their parents or stole them from stores, had a higher intensity of daily smoking. Teenage boys also associated smoking a greater number of cigarettes per day with better social benefits and more friends. The smoking community is a very welcoming community. If you prove to them you smoke, they'll be your best buddies. It seems there is a never ending supply of displace youth who feel caught between social groups in school. It's no wonder so many of them look and then find acceptance in the smoking, drinking, and drug communities within the school system.
Interestingly, the teenage girls who gave money to somebody else to buy their cigarettes for them, were more likely to smoke more per day. This was also true of teenage girls who bought cigarettes from another person.
Teenagers smoking is not a fun topic for a blog, that's for sure. But it's something we all need to understand so we can help them avoid the trappings of this disease causing habit. Sure, they feel Superman now, but later on, after they've smoking for 30 plus years, they're not going to feel so invincible. By that time, they may be well on their way to becoming just another smoking statistic.
Perhaps there are other avenues that support teenage smoking? Maybe kids get others to buy them cigarettes, like they do beer. It's a real shame, because kids shouldn't be in that big of a hurry to grow up. To get a little off topic for a moment, it seems like kids want to do what adults do; they want the benefits that adults have; yet they don't want the responsibility or accountability that comes with it. But I digress.
So a study in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal recently e-published [2011 Apr. 2] "Access to Cigarettes by Daily Smokers in Florida's Public Middle Schools and High Schools" by Saunders, C. First of all, look at that title, yes it says "Middle Schools"! That's right around the age I was during my brief and horrid experiment. I hope this doesn't surprise anyone. Drug experimentation occurs very early in our youth. This includes alcohol, marijuana, smoking and I'm sure a host of other nastiness that will lead the poor unsuspecting child to ruin. Anyway, this research looks at the access to cigarettes available to teenagers and their attitude toward smoking.
Saunders found that daily smoking intensity was dependent on access. For example, teenage boys who got their cigarettes from their parents or stole them from stores, had a higher intensity of daily smoking. Teenage boys also associated smoking a greater number of cigarettes per day with better social benefits and more friends. The smoking community is a very welcoming community. If you prove to them you smoke, they'll be your best buddies. It seems there is a never ending supply of displace youth who feel caught between social groups in school. It's no wonder so many of them look and then find acceptance in the smoking, drinking, and drug communities within the school system.
Interestingly, the teenage girls who gave money to somebody else to buy their cigarettes for them, were more likely to smoke more per day. This was also true of teenage girls who bought cigarettes from another person.
Teenagers smoking is not a fun topic for a blog, that's for sure. But it's something we all need to understand so we can help them avoid the trappings of this disease causing habit. Sure, they feel Superman now, but later on, after they've smoking for 30 plus years, they're not going to feel so invincible. By that time, they may be well on their way to becoming just another smoking statistic.
Bidi Smoking and Cancer
Recently, bidi smoking has emerged as a novel way to smoke. The allure, much like with water pipes, is the exotic nature of this type of smoking. The bidi's are hand-rolled cigarettes and are immensely popular in South Asia and India. In addition, much like the water pipe, it is perceived in the west, as a safer alternative to the standard cigarette.
So with that in mind, we here at Unbiased found an article that addressed this question of whether bidi smoking is safer than conventional cigarettes. Cancer Causes and Control published "Association of tobacco habits, including bidi smoking, with overall and site-specific cancer incidence: results from the Mumbai cohort study" by Pednekar, et al. Their study looked at the relationship between bidis and other forms of tobacco use with cancer rates in a metropolitan developing country.
There results shouldn't really surprise any of this blog's readers. The oral cancer incidence with bidi smokers was 42% higher than in cigarette smokers. The increase was 69% for all respiratory and intrathoracic organs combined. The lung cancer rate increased by 35% and the larynx cancer rate increased by 112%.
Smokeless tobacco caused the usual smokeless tobacco cancers of the lip, digestive tract, pharynx, mouth, respiratory organs and intrathoracic organs. Nothing Earth-shattering here.
If anyone thinks there is a safe way to smoke or ingest tobacco, they're kind of fooling themselves. Listen, tobacco kills. I think we'd all agree with that statement. It doesn't matter how you roll it or how you suck on it, your risk for cancer is elevated the moment it touches your lips. Why be subject to the risk if you don't have to be. There are many stop smoking benefits available. You don't have to go very far to find them.
So with that in mind, we here at Unbiased found an article that addressed this question of whether bidi smoking is safer than conventional cigarettes. Cancer Causes and Control published "Association of tobacco habits, including bidi smoking, with overall and site-specific cancer incidence: results from the Mumbai cohort study" by Pednekar, et al. Their study looked at the relationship between bidis and other forms of tobacco use with cancer rates in a metropolitan developing country.
There results shouldn't really surprise any of this blog's readers. The oral cancer incidence with bidi smokers was 42% higher than in cigarette smokers. The increase was 69% for all respiratory and intrathoracic organs combined. The lung cancer rate increased by 35% and the larynx cancer rate increased by 112%.
Smokeless tobacco caused the usual smokeless tobacco cancers of the lip, digestive tract, pharynx, mouth, respiratory organs and intrathoracic organs. Nothing Earth-shattering here.
If anyone thinks there is a safe way to smoke or ingest tobacco, they're kind of fooling themselves. Listen, tobacco kills. I think we'd all agree with that statement. It doesn't matter how you roll it or how you suck on it, your risk for cancer is elevated the moment it touches your lips. Why be subject to the risk if you don't have to be. There are many stop smoking benefits available. You don't have to go very far to find them.
Pulmonary Case Studies
I have been asked by many to start including actual case studies from my personal hospital experience. I will limit these cases to those that just involve patients who had smoking related diseases, although, I may venture off every once in a while to talk about very unusual to interesting cases. I may even ask questions to see if you can figure out what may have happened to the patient.
Here's a quick case study off the top of my mind. We had a 58 y/o white male present with shortness of breath. His lung sounds included lots of crackles and wheezing, with a prolonged expiratory phase. His respiratory rate was > 25. He quit smoking 1 year prior to this admission, but had smoked 1 - 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years. He had spiked a temperature at 101.4 F the night before. His ankles had 1+ edema (swelling). He had a history of 2 previous heart attacks (AMI). He was not a candidate for heart surgery, due to his poor baseline respiratory status. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 emphysema and was dependent on a multiple of inhalers, as well as, continuous nocturnal bipap.
This gentleman was the nicest guy around. We loved seeing him in the hospital but were sad because we only saw him as a patient, rather than a visitor. He is what you call a "frequent flyer". In other words, he found himself in our ER frequently throughout the year with the same old symptoms. His hospital stays would typically last about 10 days. His diagnosis was always the same:
1) COPD (emphysema)
2) Community acquired pneumonia
3) Congetive heart failure
4) Ischemic heart disease
5) Hypertension (high blood pressure)
6) Acute respiratory failure
7) Chronic respiratory failure
Here is an example of someone's body not tolerating the effects of a 40 pack year smoking history very well. I could also give you an example of someone who smoked just as much, but didn't have nearly the physiological devastation that this man had.
But the point is, you never know how your body will respond over time to the smoking. Which person will you turn into? Patient A who needed a machine at night to ensure he didn't stop breathing when he was asleep and continuous oxygen the rest of the time, or the other patient whose body faired a little better?
Hard core smokers are quick to point out lots of patient B examples, and tend to ignore or even deny the existence of the over couple hundred thousand patients a year that die due to smoking related illnesses. It's important to drive home the realism of smoking related disease, as often times, this is the only thing people will listen to.
I hope to share even more real life case studies in the future to offset the hum-drum nature of literature review.
Here's a quick case study off the top of my mind. We had a 58 y/o white male present with shortness of breath. His lung sounds included lots of crackles and wheezing, with a prolonged expiratory phase. His respiratory rate was > 25. He quit smoking 1 year prior to this admission, but had smoked 1 - 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years. He had spiked a temperature at 101.4 F the night before. His ankles had 1+ edema (swelling). He had a history of 2 previous heart attacks (AMI). He was not a candidate for heart surgery, due to his poor baseline respiratory status. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 emphysema and was dependent on a multiple of inhalers, as well as, continuous nocturnal bipap.
This gentleman was the nicest guy around. We loved seeing him in the hospital but were sad because we only saw him as a patient, rather than a visitor. He is what you call a "frequent flyer". In other words, he found himself in our ER frequently throughout the year with the same old symptoms. His hospital stays would typically last about 10 days. His diagnosis was always the same:
1) COPD (emphysema)
2) Community acquired pneumonia
3) Congetive heart failure
4) Ischemic heart disease
5) Hypertension (high blood pressure)
6) Acute respiratory failure
7) Chronic respiratory failure
Here is an example of someone's body not tolerating the effects of a 40 pack year smoking history very well. I could also give you an example of someone who smoked just as much, but didn't have nearly the physiological devastation that this man had.
But the point is, you never know how your body will respond over time to the smoking. Which person will you turn into? Patient A who needed a machine at night to ensure he didn't stop breathing when he was asleep and continuous oxygen the rest of the time, or the other patient whose body faired a little better?
Hard core smokers are quick to point out lots of patient B examples, and tend to ignore or even deny the existence of the over couple hundred thousand patients a year that die due to smoking related illnesses. It's important to drive home the realism of smoking related disease, as often times, this is the only thing people will listen to.
I hope to share even more real life case studies in the future to offset the hum-drum nature of literature review.
Cardiac Stents and Smoking
So you have heart disease. The doctor just put in one of those fancy drug eluting stents into one of your coronary arteries. You think to yourself how close you were to a major heart attack or even death. But now you've got the stent and all is well. Sure, smoking probably contributed to your heart disease in the first place and you even thought about quitting after your first episode of chest pain. But now the stent is there and all is wonderful. Or is it?
A new study out of Germany looked at the impact of smoking on the outcome of patients who were treated with the drug eluting stents. The trial included some 1,122 patients who had never smoked and 1,052 patients who were current smokers. Both groups had the drug eluting stents placed in their coronary arteries.
The smokers were on average: younger, male, had lower rates of diabetes and high blood pressure compared to non-smokers. But they presented with more frequent acute coronary syndromes than the non-smokers. They were all followed up after about 12 months.
The results showed a higher mortality and myocardial infarction rate in the smokers than non-smokers.
Mortality rate Myocardial infarction rate
Smokers: 4.6% 4.9%
Non-smokers: 2.7% 3.0%
These results clearly illustrate the evidence that smokers who are treated with drug eluting stents have a much higher rate of death and heart attack than non-smokers, despite having a lower prevalence of predisposing risk factors for atherosclerosis. This research can be viewed in the Clinical Research in Cardiology, 2010 Dec. 1. The authors are Sherif, et al.
The take home message is this: when you get a second chance because of a life saving medical technique or device, take it. It's simply never too late to stop smoking. You know, stopping smoking is a lot like milk, it does a body good.
Smokers Lungs
I couldn't find any good research articles today to bring to you, so I dug into my article bag. I found this article I wrote detailing the negative effects smoking has on your lungs. I call it, "Smokers Lungs" - enjoy.
Smokers Lungs
Twenty percent of all Americans smoke. The World Health Organization describes smoking as an epidemic around the world. Smoking has become a blight on those in the lower socio-economic cultures of the world. Tobacco companies have revenues in the billions. All this without advertisement on television or radio. So why?
This type of economic juggernaut must not impose very bad side-effects on its customers, right? If smoking were bad for you, then why do so many people do it?
All these are pretty good questions. The tobacco business goes all the way back to our founding fathers. Remember from history class what a cash crop was? That's right: tobacco was the king of cash crops. It wove it's way throughout the economic fabric of our bourgeoning country and it hasn’t looked back.
So here we are, 200 plus years later and we’re having to answer the question of whether tobacco is really that bad for you. Physicians and healthcare professionals can tell you the answer to the question. Yes, smoking is bad for you. Lets look at the statistics for a moment.
Roughly 90% of all lung cancers are attributable to smoking. Emphysema (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Smoking is listed as a primary risk factor in over 70 diseases. It’s also a contributing risk factor in hundreds more. But what about the smokers’ lungs.
COPD is the single largest preventable disease, they just have to quit smoking. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is no cure. It is chronic and progressive which means the symptoms will begin to worsen over time. The only way to slow it down, is to stop smoking.
Lets go over 3 physiologic changes that take place in the lung after someone smokes.
1. The fine cilia in the throat begin to die off
2. The muscle that forms the airways loose their rigidity and spasm or narrow
3. The cellular walls in the tiny air sacs of the lung begin to tear apart
These 3 changes then result in the following symptoms:
1. Chronic coughing
2. Difficulty in removing secretions
3. Elevated risk of pneumonia
4. Shortness of breath
5. Wheezing
6. Poor oxygenation
These symptoms then need to be treated with medicines like expectorants, anti-biotics, inhalers, nebulizers and supplemental oxygen. Not quite the glamorous retirement you envisioned for yourself is it? Relying on inhaled steroids, nebulizers and oxygen can really put a damper on your visit with the grandkids.
So take smoking seriously. You know it’s bad for you. There are just so many great stop smoking benefits available to you if you’d only take a look. You’re a smart person and you can make this decision. But get the valuable stop smoking information you need, so you can be informed. The more educated you are, the better your chances of success.
Smokers Lungs
Twenty percent of all Americans smoke. The World Health Organization describes smoking as an epidemic around the world. Smoking has become a blight on those in the lower socio-economic cultures of the world. Tobacco companies have revenues in the billions. All this without advertisement on television or radio. So why?
This type of economic juggernaut must not impose very bad side-effects on its customers, right? If smoking were bad for you, then why do so many people do it?
All these are pretty good questions. The tobacco business goes all the way back to our founding fathers. Remember from history class what a cash crop was? That's right: tobacco was the king of cash crops. It wove it's way throughout the economic fabric of our bourgeoning country and it hasn’t looked back.
So here we are, 200 plus years later and we’re having to answer the question of whether tobacco is really that bad for you. Physicians and healthcare professionals can tell you the answer to the question. Yes, smoking is bad for you. Lets look at the statistics for a moment.
Roughly 90% of all lung cancers are attributable to smoking. Emphysema (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Smoking is listed as a primary risk factor in over 70 diseases. It’s also a contributing risk factor in hundreds more. But what about the smokers’ lungs.
COPD is the single largest preventable disease, they just have to quit smoking. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is no cure. It is chronic and progressive which means the symptoms will begin to worsen over time. The only way to slow it down, is to stop smoking.
Lets go over 3 physiologic changes that take place in the lung after someone smokes.
1. The fine cilia in the throat begin to die off
2. The muscle that forms the airways loose their rigidity and spasm or narrow
3. The cellular walls in the tiny air sacs of the lung begin to tear apart
These 3 changes then result in the following symptoms:
1. Chronic coughing
2. Difficulty in removing secretions
3. Elevated risk of pneumonia
4. Shortness of breath
5. Wheezing
6. Poor oxygenation
These symptoms then need to be treated with medicines like expectorants, anti-biotics, inhalers, nebulizers and supplemental oxygen. Not quite the glamorous retirement you envisioned for yourself is it? Relying on inhaled steroids, nebulizers and oxygen can really put a damper on your visit with the grandkids.
So take smoking seriously. You know it’s bad for you. There are just so many great stop smoking benefits available to you if you’d only take a look. You’re a smart person and you can make this decision. But get the valuable stop smoking information you need, so you can be informed. The more educated you are, the better your chances of success.
Do Healthcare Workers Still Smoke?
Ah, the question we are all thinking, but not wanting to ask. I used to work at a county hospital, in the ICU. I remember being shocked when I heard that one of the heart surgeons smoked. I was even more amazed when my coworker told me that he had often smoked cigarettes out at the smoker's barrel with the surgeon. From that point on, all I could think about was a surgeon leaving his patient in the O.R. to get a quick drag, before returning to fix those arteries.
But that was over 20 years ago. Surely by now, most healthcare workers and doctors don't smoke anymore, right? Well, it just so happens that a new article in Nicotine and Tobacco Research asked that very question in 2006-2007. They broke down smokers by healthcare occupation: physicians, RN's, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and even dentists took part in the survey.
So any guesses on who had the highest prevalency of smoking? I'll breakdown the list from lowest to highest.
2.31% Physicians
3.01% Dentists
3.25% Pharmacists
10.73% RN's
19.28% Respiratory Therapists (ouch!)
20.55% Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)
Not surprisingly then, the groups that had the highest quit rates were physicians, pharmacists, dentists and physician assistants (PA's). But all healthcare workers had higher quit rates than the general public quit rate - except for those LPNs.
The decline in smoking healthcare workers is similar to that seen in the general population as a hold, or in other words, relatively "flat". They find this concerning since the public looks toward the medical community for guidance and counseling on this subject.
As a respiratory therapist myself, I saw first hand many of my coworkers lighting up during their shift. It stills confuses me how they could give a breathing treatment to someone who suffers from COPD symptoms and then go have a cigarette during their lunch break.
Perhaps we'd see more of a decline nationally, if the healthcare communities would make more of an effort to quit themselves - or at least, my fellow RT's and those pesky LPN's.
But that was over 20 years ago. Surely by now, most healthcare workers and doctors don't smoke anymore, right? Well, it just so happens that a new article in Nicotine and Tobacco Research asked that very question in 2006-2007. They broke down smokers by healthcare occupation: physicians, RN's, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and even dentists took part in the survey.
So any guesses on who had the highest prevalency of smoking? I'll breakdown the list from lowest to highest.
2.31% Physicians
3.01% Dentists
3.25% Pharmacists
10.73% RN's
19.28% Respiratory Therapists (ouch!)
20.55% Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)
Not surprisingly then, the groups that had the highest quit rates were physicians, pharmacists, dentists and physician assistants (PA's). But all healthcare workers had higher quit rates than the general public quit rate - except for those LPNs.
The decline in smoking healthcare workers is similar to that seen in the general population as a hold, or in other words, relatively "flat". They find this concerning since the public looks toward the medical community for guidance and counseling on this subject.
As a respiratory therapist myself, I saw first hand many of my coworkers lighting up during their shift. It stills confuses me how they could give a breathing treatment to someone who suffers from COPD symptoms and then go have a cigarette during their lunch break.
Perhaps we'd see more of a decline nationally, if the healthcare communities would make more of an effort to quit themselves - or at least, my fellow RT's and those pesky LPN's.
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