‘Smokers lung damage lingers after quitting’
Smokers, beware! Lung damage due to puffing can last long even after you kick the butt, a new study has claimed.
Researchers at University of Sydney have found that smoking alters airway tissue in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and even while other aspects of health improve, the lung damage lasts long after a smoker quits. COPD is projected to be the third-leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The primary cause is chronic exposure to air pollution, most often cigarette smoke.
The researchers found that smoking lays the groundwork for airway thickening and precipitates pre-cancerous changes in cell proliferation. “We have demonstrated for the first time that the extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by fibroblasts following stimulation with cigarette smoke extract is functionally different than non-exposed ECM, and that the cigarette smoke itself may prime the airways in such a way to create an environment whereby airway remodelling is encouraged,” lead researcher David Krimmer said. —PTI
Post new comment