INTRODUCTION Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by airflow limitation that is not completely reversible by administration of inhaled bronchodilators. Many studies propose that telomere length shortening might have occurred in COPD patients. We aimed to determine the telomere length in COPD patients and compare the results of non-smoking and smoking control subjects. ...

A best evidence topic in cardiothoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was 'Can lungs be taken for transplantation from donors with a significant smoking history?’. Five papers were found using the reported search that represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient grou...

BACKGROUND To investigate whether Swedish physicians, contrary to Swedish health care policy, employ considerations of patient responsibility for illness when rationing expensive treatments. METHODS A random sample of oncologists and pulmonologists made up the main study-group (n = 296). A random sample of GPs (n = 289) and participants from the general population (n = 513) was used as contra...

background: the effect of smoking cigarettes is followed by diverse effects on ovaries and developing follicles but the effect of passive smoking on ovarian function is unknown. on the other hand, the ovarian response to induction is a very important step in assisted reproduction. the aim of this study is to compare ovarian response in passive smokers and non-passive smokers in an assisted repr...

OBJECTIVE We aim to ascertain the prognostic significance of persistent smoking and smoking cessation after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optimal secondary prevention pharmacotherapy. METHODS Consecutive patients from the Melbourne Interventional Group registry (2005-2013) who were alive at 30 days post-ACS presentation were includ...

Lingual abscess is an extremely rare disease that misdiagnose may lead to sepsis and/or airway obstruction. A 50-year-old male patient was admitted to our emergency service with complaints of swelling of his tongue, pain and dysphagia. The swelling and pain had started 4 days ago and had been increasing gradually. Additionally, over the last 24 hours, dysphagia and difficulty in speaking develo...

Inhalation of heroin is known to provoke asthma. We report on the case of a patient who, after repeated inhalation of heroin, presented with decreased lung volume associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid eosinophilia. Rapid remission was obtained after heroin abstinence and initiation of corticosteroid treatment.

Since its first issue in 1992, few periodicals have enjoyed the rapid growth and international popularity of Cigar Aficionado. Although the magazine professes to simply celebrate "the good life and the joys of cigar smoking," we argue that it serves a more insidious function; specifically, the periodical supplies readers with 7 persuasive strategies aimed at rebuking dominant anti-smoking healt...