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.”

Study: E-Cigarette Use Reduces Carbon Monoxide, Acrolein Exposure Even For Occasional Smokers

By Dr Deepu

Reuters Health (9/10, Rapaport) reports on a study that found that smokers who switched to exclusive use of e-cigarettes were 80% less exposed to carbon monoxide and acrolein after four weeks while those who vaped and smoked reduced their exposures by 52% and 60% respectively. The authors noted that the most significant finding was that those who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes showed significantly lower acrolein levels despite the presence of vegetable glycerin in the e-liquid, which could have increased exposure.

Study: Lung Cancer Rates Double Among Never-Smokers In US, UK

By Dr Deepu

MedPage Today (9/10) reports on research presented at the World Conference On Lung Cancer in Denver, Colorado, which examined a doubling of lung cancer rates among individuals who had never smoked between 2008 and 2014 at three U.S. medical centers. Noting that the cases are of undetermined etiology, Eric Lim, MD of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London said, “research into early detection – ideally, by noninvasive or molecular screening – is urgently required to identify early lung cancer in nonsmokers.” A similar increase in cases was also found at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

“Extremely Premature” Infants See Improving Outcomes

By Dr Deepu

The AP (9/9, Tanner) reports that a 20-year study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that “odds have improved that many extremely premature U.S. infants will survive without major problems.” However, “prospects remain poor for the smallest and youngest, born nearly four months too soon.” For the study, the researchers analyzed hospital records of nearly 35,000 extremely premature babies born between 1993 to 2012 at “26 academic centers participating in a National Institutes of Health research network.” The study included infants “born at 22 weeks to 28 weeks of pregnancy.”

        The Washington Post (9/9, Bernstein) reports that “babies born between 22 and 28 weeks of gestation and who weighed 400 to 1,500 grams (14.1 to 52.9 ounces) have benefited from new practices instituted between 1993 and 2012...said Rosemary Higgins, program scientist for the neonatal research network at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development” and senior author of the study.

        The Huffington Post (9/9) reports that investigators found that between “2009 and 2012, survival rates for preemies born at 23 weeks increased from 27 percent to 33 percent.” Meanwhile, “for babies born at 24 weeks, survival rates jumped from 63 percent to 65 percent, and there were smaller increases for babies born at 25 and 27 weeks respectively.” The article adds that “survival without any major health complications improved by roughly 2 percent per year for babies born between 25 and 28 weeks gestation.”

        According to NPR (9/9) “these improvements are most likely to due to two major interventions: steroid treatment before birth to help preemies’ lungs develop faster, and the willingness of doctors to perform cesareans to deliver extreme preemies.” Challenges remain for smaller preemies born before 25 weeks.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing In Kids May Be Linked To Academic Problems

By Dr Deepu

HealthDay (9/9) reports that research suggests that “when children have sleep troubles due to breathing problems – such as sleep apnea – they may struggle in school.” Investigators “reviewed the results of 16 studies dealing with sleep apnea or related disorders in children and academic achievement.” The data indicated that kids “with sleep-disordered breathing did worse in language arts, math and science tests compared to those without such conditions.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

The researchers reviewed the results of 16 studies dealing with sleep apnea or related disorders in children and academic achievement. The investigators found that children with sleep-disordered breathing did worse in language arts, math and science tests compared to those without such conditions.