Study: Long-Lived Smokers May Be Biologically Distinct

By Dr Deepu

The Washington Post (9/11, Cha) reports that “in an intriguing study published this week by University of California at Los Angeles researchers delved into the genetic makeup of long-lived smokers...and found that their survival may be due to an innate resilience they were born with.” While “on average, smokers’ life expectancy is 10 years less than non-smokers...the long-lived smokers are the exception and the researchers said that their findings suggest that they may be a ‘biologically distinct group’ that is endowed with genetic variants that allow them to respond differently to exposure.”