Additional Peril

Smoking. Bad.

I was convinced long ago, but today's Surgeon General's report pronounces even scarier repercussions of bad personal choice.

Average years lost from a smoker's life - 13 or 14. Damn. But, hey, if you want to stand militant with your bad choice, emotionally challenged (read: substance addicted and proud of it because it's your RIGHT, dammit) smoker, at least your arteries will stay open longer after vascular surgery. What a benefit! (As this article says, smoking's a likely culprit to cause one to NEED the surgery in the first place.)

Here's your disease list, courtesy of the CNN article.

The surgeon general's report concluded that smoking causes a number of diseases not previously attributed to smoking.

They include: acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach; abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts, periodontitis and pneumonia.

The report said current evidence is not conclusive enough to say smoking causes colorectal cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer or erectile disfunction.

The evidence suggests smoking may not cause breast cancer in women overall but that some women may increase their risk of getting breast cancer by smoking, depending on genetics, the report said.

Diseases previously linked to smoking include cancer of the bladder, esophagus, larynx, lung, mouth and throat. Smoking also has been linked to chronic lung disease, chronic heart and cardiovascular disease as well as reproductive problems.

About 440,000 Americans die of smoking-related diseases each year. The report said more than 12 million people have died from smoking-related diseases in the 40 years since the first surgeon general's report on smoking and health was released in 1964.

That first report linked smoking to lung and larynx cancer and chronic bronchitis. Subsequent reports, like the one released Thursday, have expanded the list of diseases linked to smoking.

A not-so courteous reminder to drop the habit if you have it from the angelweave resident cancer survivor. It ain't that difficult to catch. Why try?

hln

Posted by hln at May 27, 2004 04:41 PM | Health | TrackBack