- Researchers are reporting that smoking causes damage to chromosomes in blood cells that can cause premature aging.
- They note that premature aging can reduce lifespan as well as quality of life.
- Experts say quitting smoking could reduce the risk of chromosome damage.
Smoking causes chromosomal damage in white blood cells that can accelerate the aging process, according to a new study.
In analyzing the study, which involved nearly half a million, researchers reported that smokers were more likely to have shorter end fragments of chromosomes, called telomeres, which are known indicators of aging and cells’ ability to repair and regenerate themselves.
The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy, this week. The research hasn’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal.
Shorter telomeres were related to both smoking status and the quantity of cigarettes smoked, said Siyu Dai, a study author and an assistant professor in the School of Clinical Medicine at Hangzhou Normal University in China.
“In other words, smoking can accelerate the process of aging, while quitting may considerably decrease the related risk,” Dai said.
“This study addresses the question whether smoking affects telomere lengths,” said Dr. Jonathan Grigg, chair of the European Respiratory Society Tobacco Control Committee, in a press statement. “Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes. If telomeres become short, cells can no longer divide successfully, and they die.”
“This study adds to the growing body of evidence that smoking accelerates biological age,” Dr. Danny Nguyen, a medical oncologist and hematologist practicing at the City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in California who was not involved in the study.
“Tobacco smoke is toxic, and the cell damage it causes…
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