Before you Smoke That ‘Cig’, Read This!
February 15th, 2008 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Before you take your next cigarette puff, beware! If you are one of the majority of people with a common genetic defect, you are likely to suffer from an early heart attack.
âWeâve all heard the stories: Someoneâs great-uncle has smoked three packs of cigarettes since he was 14, and now, at the age of 88, heâs living a fine, healthy life,â Arthur Moss, M.D., director of the Heart Research Follow-up Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center, was quoted as saying. Now, scientists say they have figured out why some smokers are luckier than others: they lack a defect of the gene CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) found in 50 percent to 70 percent of the population.
The CETP gene manages a personâs âgoodâ cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, which filter âbadâ cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, out of the blood. A defective CETP results in less âgoodâ cholesterol, which smoking lowers even more.
A smoker with the defect could suffer from a heart attack 12 years earlier than a smoker who doesnât have it, with the average age of heart attack being 52 years old. Dr. Moss added, âIf youâre a smoker and you donât carry the CETP variation, you have the same risk for heart disease as a non-smoker carrying the same gene.â
But donât give up hope yet. Quitting the nasty habit can add years to your life. Researchers say after just one year of quitting, someone who smoked more than one pack a day can add four years to their life while those who smoked more than a pack a day can gain six years!
SOURCE: Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, 2008;12:364â374.
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