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Ways to stop smoking
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Smoking and health
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Study Shows Smoking May Diminish Response to treatments That Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
ByDenise MannWebMD Health News
People with timely rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who smoke are less likely to respond to treatment with two of the most ordinaryly used drugs -- an older disease changing antirheumatic treatment called methotrexate and biologic treatments known as TNF blockers, consistent to a new study in January's Arthritis & Rheumatism. RA is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system misfires against its own joints and tissues, resulting in inflammation, swelling, pain, and ultimately the loss of mobility.
Treating RA timely with disease-changing antirheumatic drugs is admit as true thated the best way to stop this progressive disease in its tracks. "Our discoverings indicate that cigarette smokers have a diminished chance of responding well to the currently first- and second-line agents of choice in timely RA treatment today," conclude researchers who were led by Saedis Saevarsdottir, MD, PhD, a rheumatologist at the Karolinska University hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Exactly how smoking affects response to RA treatment is not fully understood, but one theory suggests smokers may metabolize some RA drugs differently than nonsmokers, which could compromise its effectiveness. Of 1,430 people with timely RA who were part of a Swedish registry, 873 started therapy with methotrexate and 535 started taking anti-TNF treatments within about three years of their RA diagnosis.
If they smoked (27% of them were current smokers), participants were less likely to show a good response to treatment with methotrexate or anti-TNF treatments at three months, six months, one year, and five years out when compared with their counterparts who never smoked.
Past Smokers
 Those study participants who had smoked in the past did not experience a muted response to treatment when compared to those individuals who never smoked, the study showed. treatment response was based on guidelines put out by the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR), the European equivalent of the American College of Rheumatology, and based on the number and degree of painful joints and other preparations of disease activity. It is still too timely to tell whether quitting smoking will recover response to therapy, but it seems plausible based on the fact that past smokers responded as well to therapy as never smokers, the researchers write.
"The discoverings provide a strong impetus for hospitalians to include preparations against smoking as a fundapsychological part of their therapeutic armamentarium in RA care," the researchers write. "This is a very interesting study that provides further information on the impact of smoking on RA," says David Pisetsky, MD, chief of rheumatology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C, in an email. Exactly how smoking affects treatment response is not fully understood, he says. "Likely, it causes chronic inflammation which exacerbates the underlying predicament in RA and limits response to therapy. Patients who smoke should definitely stop, but it may be particularly complex given the stress of a chronic disease as well as potential effects of nicotine on pain perception."
More Reasons to Quit Smoking
Previous research has shown that smoking can raise the risk for developing RA, says Theodore Fields, MD, hospitalal director of the timely Arthritis Initiative at the hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "If you are at risk for RA, such as having RA in your family, don't smoke because it does seem to be associated with onset and some data as well suggest that it worsens RA that is already there." "This new study suggests that if you are a smoker, you are less likely to respond well to the most ordinaryly used treatments. So the message is, if you are at risk of RA, don't smoke -- and if you already have RA, stop smoking," he says.
"We can't say that stopping short-term will make you respond better, but the data is suggestive. The fact that people who were still smoking did worse suggests that it's a good concept to stop." This new information may help people with RA quit smoking, he says. "Smoking is bad for your lungs and for your heart, but you are less likely to respond to RA treatment, and that may be one more stimuli for a patient to stop." SOURCES: David Pisetsky, MD, chief of rheumatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.Theodore Fields, MD, hospitalal director, timely Arthritis Initiative, hospital for Special Surgery, New York City.Saevarsdottir, S. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2011; vol 63: pp 26-36.
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Stop smoking ways
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What is Nicotine Replacement Therapy?
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a one of the ways to stop smoking. Withdrawal symptoms are the number one hardship to quit this harmful habit. Why is nicotine such a problem for quitting smoking and leading to withdrawal problems? Nicotine, which is found naturally in tobacco, is very highly addicting. For your reference, if you quit smoking today, nicotine would still be in your body for as many as four more days. One approach that you could consume is giving up abruptly.
A lot of folks need the Band-Aid to be pulled away without warning. Stopping cold turkey would remove tobacco use as a crutch and also take you off it in the fastest way possible. However, taking this route means that you have to stay strong, confident as well as dedicated to kicking the habit.
Many people have difficulties with this specific approach as well as realize that giving up smoking slowly but surely are better for them. Quitting smoking is all the more difficult, because the smoker has developed a dependency to the nicotine. So even though you very much want to quit smoking, and want to quit today, the related withdrawal symptoms like headaches, dizziness, sleeping problems, anger, and even depression can make it impossible to do so. Nicotine replacement therapy is a way of quitting smoking by using products that will deliver nicotine into the bloodstream on a reduced and diminishing dosage than the smoker is getting from cigarettes. The nicotine in the NRT products also does not have the same toxins that are found in cigarette smoke.
The American Heart Association reports that nicotine transdermal patches and other nicotine substitution drug products, such as nicotine gum, can help smokers quit when used as part of a comprehensive smoking cessation program. Resources have been shown than NRT is safe and effective in helping people stop using cigarettes when used as part of a comprehensive smoking cessation program.
 Nicotine Replacement Therapy Products
There are some types of NRT products that currently are available on the market: over the counter gums; patches; sprays and inhalers. Although Nicotine Lozenges are also available without a prescription in Internet you should ask your doctor about possible side effects before using any Nicotine Replacement products.
What is important to continue to remember is that nicotine replacement therapy is still using nicotine, and thus it is very important that the smoker does not cheat and continue to smoke while using it. If this was the case, then the amount of nicotine is going to be increased to possible toxic levels, and increase the nicotine addiction problem.
The nicotine replacement therapy approach allows the smoker to quit with less nicotine withdrawal problems, while also allowing for the smoking habit and anchors to be discontinued. This is important to note, because smoking can be both a physical and a psychological addiction issue, and NRT is only going to aid by getting rid of the craving for nicotine - not the underlying reason for why the person is smoking.
The only danger in NRT is in overdosing on the amount of nicotine, so be sure to read the instructions with any patch, gum or lozenge you decide to try.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy side effects
If you make decision to chose this way for stop smoking be ready to face with possible side effects: bad taste, mouth sores, hiccups, nausea, and achy jaw, racing heartbeat and throat irritation. Some try to use them in combination with each other or with other stop smoking aids. Your should be under the professional direction of a licensed physician if your are utilize Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
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Side effects of smoking
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Smoking is one of main public health problem. About half a million eaths per year in the United States are due to smoking. These deaths happen as a result of cancers, breathing problems, strokes, and many other smoke-related health problems.
Tobacco smoking causes an even higher number of disabilities, pain, and suffering from different diseases.
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemical agents; at least 60 of these cause cancer!
The addictive ingredient in cigarette smoke is nicotine. Nicotine is VERY addictive. Cigarette companies are aware of this and manipulate levels of nicotine in cigarettes to make sure that smokers become addicted.
Nicotine is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream; within 30 seconds of entering the body, it reaches the brain. It causes the brain to release special chemicals that create feelings of pleasure and energy. One of these chemicals is called epinephrine. The feelings that are created are usually called a "high" or a "buzz."
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Smoking and health
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Stopping smoking has substantial immediate and long term health benefits for smokers of all ages. The excess risk of death from smoking falls soon after cessation and continues to do so
for at least 10-15 years.
Former smokers live longer than continuing smokers, no matter what age they stop smoking,
though the impact of quitting on mortality is greatest at younger ages. For smokers who stop before age 35, survival is about the same as that for non-smokers.
The rate and extent of reduction of risk varies between diseases—for lung cancer the risk falls over 10 years to about 30%-50% that of continuing smokers, but the risk remains raised even after 20 years of abstinence.
There is benefit from quitting at all ages, but stopping before age 30 removes 90% of the lifelong risk of lung cancer. The excess risk of oral and oesophageal cancer caused by smoking is halved within five years of cessation.
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Smoking and health
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Cigarette smoking was first acknowledged as a risk factor for osteoporosis more than 20 years ago. It has been proven that smoking has a direct effect on the development of osteoporosis. Significant bone loss has been found in postmenopausal women with prolonged smoking exposure. In addition, a relationship between cigarette smoking and low bone density in adolescence and early adulthood has been identified.
How Smoking Causes Osteoporosis
Smoking can exaggerate osteoporosis because it interferes with the absorption of calcium in the body. Calcium is a crucial nutrient for bone health. The body gets its supply of calcium from utilization of certain types of food, such as dairy products. After it enters the body, calcium is broken down in the digestive tract and distributed to the bones through the bloodstream. It facilitates the formation of new and stronger bones through the process of bone remodeling.
Smoking prevents the appropriate absorption of calcium, and the bones will not receive the amount of calcium they need to remain healthy. Over time, smoking promotes calcium deficiency in bones and lead to osteoporosis.
According to studies, osteoporosis is more widespread in women than men. Presently, osteoporosis threatens around 44 million people in the US, and almost 70% of these Americans are women. It is known that smoking can reduce the production of estrogen in women, and this can result in premature menopause in women. Premature menopause will in turn lead to a significant reduction in bone density.
Cigarette Smoking and Estrogen
Not all studies proved smoking use did increase hip fracture risk in women. But many studies concluded that while estrogen replacement protected women from fracture, this protective effect was eliminated in women on estrogen replacement who smoked.
The studies also proved an anti-estrogenic effect of cigarette smoking. For example, smokers are less likely to develop uterine cancer, fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma. Each of these conditions is believed to be related to estrogenic stimulation.
Other reports have suggested that smokers have less effective absorption of calcium, opposite to the effect of estrogen, which is believed to enhance calcium absorption.
The anti-estrogen effect of tobacco increased risk for osteoporosis among smoking women. Postmenopausal smoking women have lower estrogen levels than non-smokers and smokers tend to have an earlier menopause than their non-smoking counterparts. This reduction in estrogen is likely to result in an increase in bone resorption, contributing to osteoporosis and fracture risk.
Quit smoking is best way to impove condition of your bones. |
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