Effects of smoking include accelerated aging, study finds

In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers examined blood results to determine the effects of smoking on aging.

As a society, we are widely aware of the risks of smoking – cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that smoking tobacco results in 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. In relation to the effects of smoking, researchers have been interested in aging and premature aging.

Medical professionals are able to predict a person’s age via biomarkers in their blood. In a study published by Scientific Reports, researchers assessed data from 149,000 anonymous individual records to determine the effects of smoking on aging. The blood results were anonymous. Researchers examined blood biomarkers and blood cell counts using advanced medical machinery and age-prediction models. This study was one of the first to carry out extensive analyses of blood results on the effects of smoking.

Biomarkers with the most influence were glycated haemoglobin, ferritin, fasting glucose, and urea. Furthermore, haemoglobin and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were significant in smoking status. They found that male smokers were predicted to be one-and-a-half times their actual age, while female smokers were predicted to be double their actual age. The findings showed that smokers age at faster rates than non-smokers.

Accelerated aging is proven to be one of the many effects of smoking. The modern technology used in this study can be of significant and beneficial use in future studies on aging.

Read about the top 4 ways to quit smoking here.

Written by Laura Laroche

References:

1. 12 diseases caused by smoking. 2019, https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=17ace3fc-fb01-45c3-8617-1beb81404fc4, assessed 24 Jan. 2019.
2. Current cigarette smoking among adults in the United States. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm, assessed 24 Jan. 2019.
3. Mamoshina, Polina, et al. “Blood Biochemistry Analysis to Detect Smoking Status and Quantify Accelerated Aging in Smokers.” Scientific Reports. 2019. Online.
4. New study shows smoking accelerates aging. 2019, https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/imi-nss011619.php, assessed 24 Jan. 2019.