Medicare Reimbursement for Lung Cancer Screening Provokes Debate

Although 160,000 people in the U.S. die each year from lung cancer, accounting for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths, screening for lung cancer remains controversial. Based on results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in 2011, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a B recommendation in favor of low-dose…

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Rise In Popularity Of E-Cigarettes Sparks Concerns And Recommendations

The recent dramatic rise in popularity of e-cigarettes threatens to reverse hard-fought progress in the war against smoking, according to a new policy statement from the American Heart Association. “E-cigarettes have caused a major shift in the tobacco-control landscape,” said the lead author of the statement, Aruni Bhatnagar, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Louisville. But…

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If You Snus, You Lose: Study Shows Benefits of Quitting Smokeless Tobacco

The adverse effects of smoking are well known and documented. The effect of smokeless tobacco is less clear. Now a study from Sweden, published in Circulation, offers evidence that quitting smokeless tobacco after a heart attack is about as beneficial as quitting smoking. The results do not support the common view that smokeless tobacco is a safe alternative to smoking….

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Hypertension And Smoking Top List Of Global Risk Factors

Worldwide, hypertension and tobacco smoking are the single largest causes of death and disability, according to findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010), the largest ever assessment and analysis of global health and disease. In an unprecedented move, the Lancet devoted an entire issue to the study, including seven separate articles and eight comments….

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The Research Agrees: Smoking Is Really Bad For You

Four new studies offer powerful evidence of the dangers of smoking and the health benefits of quitting or not being exposed to secondhand smoke. Smoking in the UK– Between 1996 amd 2001 the Million Women Study started following more than one million women aged 50 to 65 years of age. In  a report published in…

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