Smoking Can Cause Acne

Researchers from the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome found that cigarettes can cause acne as well as cause dull and wrinkled skin. They found that noninflammatory acne affected eight times more smokers than nonsmokers. Most of the nonsmokers that had acne lived or worked in environments with heavy smoke. Cigarette smoke can cause skin cells, called keratinocytes, to proliferate and clog pores.

Companies Charging Workers For Bad Habits

An increasing number of companies are charging their employees for having bad habits, such as smoking, eating excessively, and not exercising. Some people say that these types of programs violate a worker’s privacy and make group health plans too similar to individual insurance. At the same time, these programs force some people to take notice and be more aware of their bad habits that may affect their health.

Medication for Ex-Smokers

There is a new medication that was made originally for people with acne problems that can help people that used to smoke by reducing their lung cancer risk. Ex-smokers that took the prescription retinoid isotretinoin, which also contained vitamin E, or an experimental retinoid had significant decrease in the amount of precancerous cell growth in the lungs when compared to people that took placebos.

Restaurant Smoking Bans Decrease Teen Smoking

A recent study shows that restaurant smoking bans help to persuade teenagers not to become smokers. Teens who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than teens that lived in communities without bans or that had weak bans. Smoking bans discourage tobacco use and sends out the message that smoking is not healthy. The ban also reduces the amount of smoke that teens are exposed to in public places.

Having a parent or close friend that smokes can be an influence as to whether or not a teenager experiments with cigarettes but strong bans in public places play a bigger role in whether a not the teen will develop a smoking habit. The study also found that the bans had a greater effect on younger teens than older teens.

Protect Yourself Against Heart Damage

There are many factors that cause heart damage and many things that can be done to protect a person against it. Things that can affect heart damage include oral health, sleep habits, marriage, family history, and the area where you live.

Studies have found a link between heart diseased and gum disease. It is assumed that bacteria in the mouth penetrate damaged gums, enter the bloodstream, and cause inflammation. It also increases in plaque in the arteries that go to the heart. There is evidence that keeping your mouth healthy can cut the risk of heart disease. Intensive periodontal treatment can cause an improvement in cells lining blood vessels throughout the body, which causes a better and healthier blood flow to the heart. It is recommended to brush teeth twice each day, floss each day, and go to the dentist every six months for regular cleanings.

People that get five hours of sleep or less each night are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for heart disease. When people don’t get enough sleep, their average daily blood pressure and heart rate increases. Not getting enough sleep can also increase the risks of obesity, depression, and diabetes, which are all factors that can increase the chances of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that getting enough sleep each night can lower blood pressure.

If there is constant strain and stress in a relationship, your risk of having a heart attack increases up to 34 percent. A lot of anger and stress can cause a flood of hormones that causes the heart to beat faster and pump harder, causing higher blood pressure and more wearing on the cardiac blood vessels. People in a bad marriage are more likely to eat poorly, drink alcohol more, and smoke, which are things that are bad for the heart.

Family history can increase risks of heart disease. A family history of early heart attack can double the risk of coronary calcification, which is a buildup of calcium in blood vessels that is connected to heart disease, in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Women are more likely to have multiple risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Exercising and eating healthy can still decrease the risks even if there is a family history of heart disease.

People that live in more deprived neighborhoods that don’t have sidewalks, walking trails, and parks have a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease regardless of how rich or educated a person is. These neighborhoods discourage walking and exercise and usually encourage unhealthy eating since they are more likely to have more fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. Something can be done by petitioning officials to add more sidewalks and lights.

Scientists Find Genetic Link to Smoking Addiction

Scientists have found genetic variations that make people more likely to get hooked on cigarettes and more likely to develop lung cancer. This new finding could lead to screening tests and customized treatments being developed for smokers that want to quit smoking. It also gives more insight on how genetics and lifestyle habits work together to cause cancer.

A person that smokes that inherits the genetic variations from both parents has an 80 percent greater chance of lung cancer than a smoker without the variations. The same smoker would light two extra cigarettes a day on average and have a harder time quitting than smokers that don’t have the variations.

Simple Ways to Live Longer

Living a long and healthy live doesn’t have to be difficult. There are simple things that you can do in your everyday life to increase you lifespan.

Exercising can increase your lifespan. Walking just a half hour each day can lengthen your life. Exercising regularly can burn calories and help to maintain a healthy weight, which can protect you against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and colon cancer. Exercising your muscles is very important because your muscles and bones weaken as you get older. Weight lifting can stop the weakening and will strengthen your muscles.

Losing body fat can increase you long you live. A body mass index is a measure of your body fat based on dividing weight and height. A body mass index of 25 to 29.9 takes three years off of your life span. A body mass index of 30 or above takes seven years off of your life. Extra weight can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Flossing your teeth can keep you healthier. The same bacteria that can cause periodontal disease can cause an immune response that will make your arteries swell, constrict blood flow, and collect plaque. These issues can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Being optimistic can increase your life span by seven and a half years. This positive attitude and outlook boosts the body’s immune system and helps it to handle stress better.

Not smoking can also increase your life span. People that quit smoking by age 35 live 6 to 8 years longer than people who continue to smoke. Giving up smoking can decrease the risks of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.

Teens and the Addictive Powers of Smoking

Researchers have found that teenagers can get addicted to nicotine by smoking just one cigarette. After just one cigarette, a powerful reward system is set up in the brain. The more often a person smokes, the stronger the cravings will be.