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Introduction Tobacco smoking may result in significant limitation of physical performance in susceptible subjects. Hindering symptoms such as dyspnea, coughing, and attacks of wheezing and airway obstruction may occur, and [...], Background Disabling respiratory symptoms and rapid decline of lung function may occur in susceptible tobacco smokers. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) elicited by direct challenge methods predicts worse lung function outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether BHR to isocapnic hyperventilation of dry air (IHDA) was associated with rapid deterioration in airway status and respiratory symptoms. Methods One hundred twenty-eight smokers and 26 ageand sex-matched healthy individuals with no history of smoking were investigated. All subjects completed a questionnaire. Spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS) measurements were recorded before and after 4 min of IHDA. The tests were repeated after 3 years in 102 smokers and 11 controls. Results Eighty-five smokers (66 %) responded to the challenge with a [greater than or equal to] 2.4-Hz increase in resonant frequency ([F.sub.res]), the cutoff limit defining BHR, as recorded by IOS. They had higher [F.sub.res] at baseline compared to nonresponding smokers [12.8 [+ or -] 3.2 vs. 11.5 [+ or -] 3.4 Hz (p < 0.05)] and lower [FEV.sub.1] [83 [+ or -] 13 vs. 89 [+ or -] 13 % predicted (p < 0.05)]. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that wheezing (odds ratio = 3.7, p < 0.01) and coughing (odds ratio = 8.1, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with hyperresponsiveness. An increase in [F.sub.res] was recorded after 3 years in responding smokers but not in nonresponders or controls. The difference remained when subjects with COPD were excluded. Conclusions The proportion of hyperresponsive smokers was unexpectedly high and there was a close association between wheezing and coughing and BHR. Only BHR could discriminate smokers with rapid deterioration of airway status from others. Keywords Bronchial hyperresponsiveness * Impulse oscillometry * Isocapnic hyperventilation of dry air * Resonant frequency * Tobacco smoke

Age-associated telomere shortening leads to replicative senescence of human endothelial cells (EC. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) accelerate ageing, while there is a concomitant rise in oxidative stress known to promote stress-induced senescence (SIS) in vitro. Of all risk factors for CVD, smoking is most associated with the development of inflammation and accelerated atherosclerosis due to a prooxidant-antioxidant imbalance. We tested the hypothesis that SIS predominates in EC isolated from chronic smokers with premature atherosclerosis undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). We isolated and cultured EC from segments of internal mammary arteries from smoker, former smoker, and nonsmoker coronary patients. Senescence of EC was induced by serial passage and quantified by the measurement of telomere length and senescence-associated R-galactosidase activity. Compared with nonsmokers, smoker patients were 10 years younger at the time of CABG, evidence of premature atherosclerosis. Cellular senescence was independent of telomere length and directly related to oxidative damage. EC exhibited higher expression levels of markers of oxidative stress (lipid peroxydation level and caveolin-1 mRNA), inflammation (angiopoietin-like 2 mRNA), hypoxia (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A mRNA), and cell damage (p53 mRNA). In conclusion, a high oxidative stress environment in EC isolated from atherosclerotic chronic smokers predisposes to SIS rather than replicative senescence. Key words: smoking, atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, caveolin-1, stress-induced senescence, telomere, replicative senescence. Le raccourcissement des telomeres avec l'age conduit a une senescence replicative des cellules endotheliales (CE) humaines. Les facteurs de risque de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) accelerent le processus de vieillissement, alors qu'une augmentation du stress oxydatif est connue pour favoriser une senescence induite par le stress (SIS) in vitro. Parmi tous les facteurs de risque de MCV, le tabac est associe au developpement de l'inflammation et a une atherosclerose acceleree due a un desequilibre entre les systemes pro-oxydant/antioxydant. Nous avons verifie l'hypothese que la SIS predomine dans les CE isolees des fumeurs chroniques souffrant d'atherosclerose prematuree, soumis a un pontage aortocoronarien (PAC). Nous avons isole et cultive des CE provenant de segments d'arteres mammaires internes de fumeurs, d'anciens fumeurs et de patients n'ayant jamais fume. La senescence des CE a ete induite par passage en serie et quantifiee par la mesure de la longueur des telomeres et de l'activite de la β-galactose liee a la senescence. Compares aux nonfumeurs, les patients fumeurs ont subi un PAC dix ans plus tot, une indication d'atherosclerose prematuree. La senescence cellulaire etait independante de la longueur des telomeres et directement liee au dommage oxydatif. Les CE on montre une plus forte expression des taux de marqueurs de stress oxydatif (taux de peroxydation lipidique, ARNm de la caveoline-1), d'inflammation (ARNm de l'angiopoietine-2), d'hypoxie (ARNm du VEGF-A) et de dommage cellulaire (ARNm de p53). Ainsi, un stress oxydatif eleve dans les CE isolees des fumeurs chroniques atherosclerotiques predispose a une SIS plutot qu'a une senescence replicative. Mots-cles : tabac, atherosclerose, stress oxydatif, caveoline-1, senescence induite par le stress, telomere, senescence replicative. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Free radical-dependent cellular damage remains the basis of the theory of ageing (Harman 1956). Thus, any risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that magnifies the age-associated rise in free [...]

Byline: Hans J. Roethig, MD, PhD, FCP, FFPM (Philip Morris USA, Richmond, Virginia, hans-juergen.roethig@pmusa.com); Shixia Feng, PhD (Philip Morris USA, Richmond, Virginia); Qiwei Liang, PhD (Philip Morris USA, Richmond, Virginia); [...]

Using USDA's 1989-90 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals (CSFII)--Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS), this study examines the association between smoking and the diet and health attitudes, awareness, and knowledge among 302 low-income parents. Adjusting for race and female occupation, the parents who smoked 21 + cigarettes per day were significantly less likely to place importance on including nutrients and other dietary components needed for health in their diets than the parents who smoked 1-10 cigarettes per day (p [is less than] 0.05). Race, female occupation, education level, and age were also related to parental diet and health attitudes, awareness, and knowledge., Smokers are known to have fewer healthy behaviors than nonsmokers. For example, smokers are more likely to drink alcohol and less likely to get sufficient sleep and exercise than nonsmokers [...]

Reactive oxygen species, which are formed as a result of normal metabolism, can interact with the polyunsaturated bonds of fatty acids in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) forming peroxides that are damaging [...]

Tobacco harm reduction--encouraging the use of cigarette alternatives as a way to reduce the public health impact of smoking--is the subject of fierce debate in the public health community. (1, [...]

Limited information from human studies indicates that dietary quercetin supplementation influences blood lipid profiles, glycemic response, and inflammatory status, collectively termed cardiometabolic risks. We tested the hypothesis that quercetin-rich supplementation, [...]