Smoking

There has been a surge in the popularity of e-cigarettes. But what are they and should they be used as an alternative to smoking?  

How has the smoking ban impacted on the health of nations?  

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is due to atherosclerosis of arteries in the limbs. The level of arterial occlusion present is proportional to the symptoms. The pathogenesis and risk factors are the same as for coronary artery disease (CAD), and include: Hypertension Dyslipidaemia High LDL and low LDL levels Diabetes Obesity FH of arterial disease Smoking Age Male gender   Epidemiology  

Rates of preterm births and paediatric hospital admissions for asthma fell by 10% within a year of smoke-free legislation taking effect, says a systematic review and meta-analysis on the issue.1  

Adolescents who use electronic cigarettes were more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking, a study from the United States has found, leading the researchers to conclude that the nicotine delivery devices are “unlikely to discourage conventional cigarette smoking among youths.”  

The number of electronic cigarette users in the UK has tripled over the past two years, says Action on Smoking and Health.  

The use of electronic cigarettes in the United Kingdom has tripled in the past two years, with 2.1 million people regularly using the devices in 2014, up from 700 000 in 2012, a survey for the antismoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has found.  

Developed and produced for http://www.MDPracticeGuide.com, a CME resource for physicians and healthcare providers. Animation Description: Cigarette smoking i...  

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is associated with smoking but defined as occurring in the absence of known lung disease  

Paul Aveyard and Nicola Lindson-Hawley say that reducing smoking is a worthwhile step towards cessation, but Gerard Hastings and Marisa de Andrade argue that the lifelong nicotine replacement therapy being recommended in support may benefit industry more than public health  

Screening for lung cancer with low dose computed tomography can reduce mortality from the disease by 20% in high risk smokers. This review covers the state of the art knowledge on several aspects of implementing a screening program. The most important are to identify people who are at high enough risk to warrant screening and the appropriate management of lung nodules found at screening. An accurate risk prediction model is more efficient than age and pack years of smoking alone at identifying those who will develop lung cancer and die from the disease. Algorithms are available for assessing people who screen positive to determine who needs additional imaging or invasive investigations. Concerns about low dose computed tomography screening include false positive results, overdiagnosis, radiation exposure, and costs. Further work is needed to define the frequency and duration of screening and to refine risk prediction models so that they can be used to assess the risk of lung cancer in special populations. Another important area is the use of computer vision software tools to facilitate high throughput interpretation of low dose computed tomography images so that costs can be reduced and the consistency of scan interpretation can be improved. Sufficient data are available to support the implementation of screening programs at the population level in stages that can be expanded when found to perform well to improve the outcome of patients with lung cancer.  

London's Health Commission calls for a ban on smoking in Trafalgar and Parliament squares and the city's parks  

Smoking in London's parks as well as Trafalgar and Parliament squares could be banned under proposals submitted to Mayor Boris Johnson.  

Developed and produced for http://www.MDPracticeGuide.com, a CME resource for physicians and healthcare providers. Animation Description: Cigarette smoking i...  

Stream Economic cost of smoking in people with mental disorders in the UK by BMJ talk medicine from desktop or your mobile device  

The first TV advert showing e-cigarettes are broadcast on Monday, but critics warn the move could normalise smoking imagery.  

Find out the key facts and evidence around smoking and cancer risk.  

Stream Smoking in the young by BMJ talk medicine from desktop or your mobile device  

Lung cancer is the second commonest cancer diagnosed in the UK. It is one of the few cancers where there is a clear cause, with the majority of cases caused by smoking.  

The UK has some of the strongest smoking legislation in the world. But do we know what impact they have had on smoking rates?