Smoking, Heavy Drinking, Inactivity, Poor Diet cut 12 Years of Life

BEIJING, April 27, 2010 (Xinhuanet) --

You know smoking is bad for your health. Ditto heavy drinking, inactivity and poor diet.

But you may not recognize that the four common bad habits combined can subtract your lifetime, said a study in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years and correlated these behaviors with risk of disease and death.

In the study, 314 people had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29 percent. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the four habits, only 32 died, or about 8 percent.

These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.

(Agencies)

Editor: Bi Mingxin

Study: Smoking cessation may increase risk of type 2 diabetes in short term

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2010 (Xinhua) --

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but new research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that quitting the habit may actually raise diabetes risk in the short term.

The researchers suspect the elevated diabetes risk is related to the extra pounds people typically put on after renouncing cigarettes and caution that no one should use the study's results as an excuse to keep smoking, which is also a risk factor for lung disease, heart disease, strokes and many types of cancer.

"The message is: Don't even start to smoke," says study leader Hsin-Chieh "Jessica" Yeh, an assistant professor of general internal medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"If you smoke, give it up. That's the right thing to do. But people have to also watch their weight," she adds.

In the study, to be published in the Jan. 5 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that people who quit smoking have a 70 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first six years without cigarettes as compared to people who never smoked.

The risks were highest in the first three years after quitting and returned to normal after 10 years.

Among those who continued smoking over that period, the risk was lower, but the chance of developing diabetes was still 30 percent higher compared with those who never smoked.

The study enrolled 10,892 middle-aged adults who did not yet have diabetes from 1987 to 1989. The patients were followed for up to 17 years and data about diabetes status, glucose levels, weight and more were collected at regular intervals.

Type 2 diabetes is a common disease that interferes with the body's ability to properly use sugar, and to regulate and properly use insulin, a substance produced by the pancreas which normally lowers blood sugar during and after eating.

In type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, the pancreas makes plenty of insulin to help the body when food is eaten, but the body cannot use it normally.

The result is excess levels of blood sugar, which over time, can lead to blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and heart disease. Overweight people and those with a family history of the disease have an increased risk for developing it, as do smokers, though the causal relationship is unclear.

According to the study, those who smoked the most and those who gained the most weight had the highest likelihood for developing diabetes after they quit.

On average, over the first three years of the study, quitters gained about 8.4 pounds and saw their waist circumferences grow by approximately 1.25 inches.

Yeh and her colleagues want physicians to keep these findings in mind when they are consulting with patients who are giving up cigarettes, especially the heaviest smokers. They recommend considering countermeasures such as lifestyle counseling, aggressive weight management and the use of nicotine-replacement therapy, which seems to blunt the weight gain related to quitting.

Another key step is more frequent blood glucose screening to assure the earliest detection of diabetes.

Editor: Xiong Tong

10 tips to help you quit smoking

2009-10-20 14:24:50, Xinhua

If you are someone who has a strong desire to quit smoking, the following ten quit smoking tips may help as you embark on your stop-smoking journey.

1. Don't smoke any number or any kind of cigarette.

Even a few cigarettes a day can be harmful. If you simply try to cut down, you will soon be back to smoking the same amount as before. The best choice is to quit altogether.

2. Keep a journal about why you want to quit.

Do you want to improve your health or be a good role model for your kids? Maybe you want to protect your family from the ill-health effects of secondhand smoke. Whatever the reason, those who are highly motivated to quit are more likely to succeed.

3. Don't associate with people who smoke.

If you don't want to smoke, stay away from cigarettes and anybody who lights up.

4. Know that it will take a conscious effort.

With this in mind, do whatever it takes to succeed, including exploring the use of nicotine replacement therapy, adjunct medications, stop smoking support groups and educational materials.

5. Let your family and friends help you.

Talk with your healthcare provider. Ask him or her for help in quitting. Tell your family and friends about your efforts, so that they can keep temptations away and support you in your goal.

6. Exercise regularly and moderately.

Daily exercises can help you decrease cravings, improve your mood and give you a sense of well-being.

7. Eat a balanced diet.

When you quit smoking, your body is working overtime trying to expel excess toxins. A balanced diet should include fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats (especially chicken and fish), and grains. Avoid junk food and empty calories.

8. Drink plenty of water.

Water is a must to flush the toxins out of your body. It is recommended that you drink eight glasses of water a day for optimal health and hydration. Avoid coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol, because they can increase your urge to smoke.

9.Distract yourself.

When cravings hit, do something else immediately, such as talking to someone, getting busy with a task, or taking deep breaths.

10.Change your habits.

Take a different route to work, eat breakfast in a different place, or get up from the table right away after eating.

Editor: en_yln

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