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BackgroundWe examined the association between cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes among the general population, among never-tobacco smokers, and among younger individuals.Methods and resultsThis is a population-based, cross-sectional study of 2016 to 2020 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey from 27 American states and 2 territories. We assessed the association of cannabis use (number of days of cannabis use in the past 30 days) with self-reported cardiovascular outcomes (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and a composite measure of all 3) in multivariable regression models, adjusting for tobacco use and other characteristics in adults 18 to 74 years old. We repeated this analysis among nontobacco smokers, and among men

Background We examined the association between cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes among the general population, among never‐tobacco smokers, and among younger individuals. Methods and Results This is a population‐based, cross‐sectional study of 2016 to 2020 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey from 27 American states and 2 territories. We assessed the association of cannabis use (number of days of cannabis use in the past 30 days) with self‐reported cardiovascular outcomes (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and a composite measure of all 3) in multivariable regression models, adjusting for tobacco use and other characteristics in adults 18 to 74 years old. We repeated this analysis among nontobacco smokers, and among men

Background Epidemiological studies have shown that some factors other than smoking may affect the risk of lung cancer in women, but the results are controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the influencing factors of lung cancer in nonsmoking women. Methods Both English and Chinese databases were searched for publications from 1990 to 2020. All included studies were assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of influential factors were analyzed using the meta-analysis method, and the publication bias and sensitivity were analyzed. Results Among the five categories, the pooled OR of cooking factors category was the highest. Among 42 influencing factors, there were frequent fried food (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.73–3.38) and long menstrual cycle (0.54, 95% CI: 0.39–0.75). A positive association of history of lung diseases/family lung/all cancer with lung cancer among Asian nonsmoking women (1.82, 95% CI: 1.60–2.07). Unlike other regions, cooking factors were the main risk factor for lung cancer in Asian. Conclusion The meta-analysis suggests that cooking habits, diet, passive smoking, history of cancer and lung disease, and female reproduction are related to lung cancer in nonsmoking women. However, additional studies are warranted to extend this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Smoking‐ and nonsmoking‐associated lung cancers have different mechanisms of carcinogenesis. We divided non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients into nonsmoking and smoking groups with the aim of trying to understand the utility of brain‐specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) expression in the separate groups. Methods Clinicopathological data were obtained from 148 patients who had undergone surgery for NSCLC of the lung. Tissue microarray blocks were made of samples from NSCLC patients. Two pathologists graded the intensity of BAI1 expression as high or low expression in the cancer cells of patients in the smoking and nonsmoking groups. Results NSCLC nonsmokers with higher BAI1 nuclear expression had poor disease‐specific survival (DSS) (hazard ratio: 2.679; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.022–7.022, p = 0.045). The Kaplan–Meier survival curve confirmed that higher BAI1 expression was significantly associated with poor DSS (p = 0.034) in the nonsmoking group. Conclusions We divided NSCLC patients into nonsmoking and smoking groups and found that nuclear BAI1 expression was related to patient survival in nonsmoking NSCLC patients. We suggest BAI1 expression as a predictive marker of nonsmoking‐associated NSCLC and recommend that it be evaluated as an AJCC staging criterion in the future.

Background: The association between lifestyle risk factors and the risk of mortality and chronic diseases has been established, while limited research has explored the impact of healthy lifestyle factors on lifetime health care expenditure using longitudinal individual data., Objective: We aimed to determine the individual and combined effects of 5 healthy lifestyle factors on life expectancy and lifetime health care expenditure in Taiwan., Methods: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey cohort, 5 healthy lifestyle behaviors were defined and analyzed: nonsmoking, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, engaging in sufficient physical activity, ensuring sufficient fruit and vegetable intake, and maintaining a normal weight. We used a rolling extrapolation algorithm that incorporated inverse probability of treatment weighting to estimate the life expectancy and lifetime health care expenditure of the study populations with and without healthy lifestyle factors., Results: A total of 19,893 participants aged ≥30 (mean age 48.8, SD 13.4) years were included, with 3815 deaths recorded during a median follow-up period of 15.6 years. The life expectancy and per capita estimated lifetime health care expenditures for the overall study population were 35.32 years and US $58,560, respectively. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in participants adhering to all 5 healthy lifestyle factors, compared with those adhering to none, were 0.37 (95% CI 0.27-0.49). We found significant increases in life expectancy for nonsmokers (2.31 years; 95% CI 0.04-5.13; P=.03), those with sufficient physical activity (1.85 years; 95% CI 0.25-4.34; P=.02), and those with adequate fruit and vegetable intake (3.25 years; 95% CI 1.29-6.81; P=.01). In addition, nonsmokers experienced a significant reduction in annual health care expenditure (-9.78%; 95% CI -46.53% to -1.45%; P=.03), as did individuals maintaining optimal body weight (-18.36%; 95% CI -29.66% to -8.57%; P=.01). Overall, participants adhering to all 5 healthy lifestyle behaviors exhibited a life gain of 7.13 years (95% CI 1.33-11.11; P=.02) compared with those adhering to one or none, with a life expectancy of 29.19 years (95% CI 25.45-33.62). Furthermore, individuals adopting all 5 healthy lifestyle factors experienced an average annual health care expenditure reduction of 28.12% (95% CI 4.43%-57.61%; P=.02) compared with those adopting one or none., Conclusions: Adopting a healthy lifestyle is associated with a longer life expectancy and a reduction of health care expenditure in Taiwanese adults. This contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of healthy lifestyle factors on the overall health and economic burden., (©Wei-Cheng Lo, Tsuey-Hwa Hu, Cheng-Yu Shih, Hsien-Ho Lin, Jing-Shiang Hwang. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 17.07.2024.)

Oral cavity cancer is often described as a lifestyle‐related malignancy due to its strong associations with habitual factors, including tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing. However, patients with no genetically predisposing conditions who do not indulge in these risk habits are still being encountered, albeit less commonly. The aim of this review is to summarize contemporaneous reports on these nonsmoking, nonalcohol drinking (NSND) patients. We performed database searching to identify relevant studies from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2021. Twenty‐six articles from 20 studies were included in this study. We found that these individuals were mostly females in their eighth decade with tumors involving the tongue and gingivobuccal mucosa. This review also observed that these patients were likely diagnosed with early stage tumors with overexpression of programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and increased intensity of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Treatment response and disease‐specific prognosis were largely comparable between NSND and smoking/drinking patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveOur goal was to analyze the demographic and pathologic characteristics as well as prognosis in nonsmoking and nondrinking (NSND) oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients compared with typical oral SCC patients.Patients and MethodsA total of 353 patients were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups: the NSND group and the current smoking/current drinking (CSCD) group. Demographic, pathologic, and molecular data were compared between the two groups. The main research endpoints were locoregional control (LRC) and disease-specific survival (DSS).ResultsIn the NSND group, 16.3%, 41.9%, and 53.5% of patients were aged no more than 40 years, were female, and had an educational background of high school or above compared to 3.7%, 6.0%, and 38.2% of patients in the CSCD group, respectively. A total of 15.1% of the NSND patients had SCC of the lower gingiva and floor of the mouth, which was lower than the 35.6% of patients in the CSCD group. CSCD patients were likely to have an advanced disease stage (48.7% vs 32.5%, p=0.042) and poorly differentiated cancer (26.6% vs 16.3%, p=0.042). The NSND patients had a mean Ki-67 index of 24.5%, which was lower than the mean of 35.7% in the CSCD patients. The two groups had no HPV infection and similar p16 expression (4.7% vs 10.1%, p=0.132), but there was higher expression of p53 (38.6% vs 17.4%, p

Objective: Our goal was to analyze the demographic and pathologic characteristics as well as prognosis in nonsmoking and nondrinking (NSND) oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients compared with typical oral SCC patients. Patients and Methods: A total of 353 patients were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups: the NSND group and the current smoking/current drinking (CSCD) group. Demographic, pathologic, and molecular data were compared between the two groups. The main research endpoints were locoregional control (LRC) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Results: In the NSND group, 16.3%, 41.9%, and 53.5% of patients were aged no more than 40 years, were female, and had an educational background of high school or above compared to 3.7%, 6.0%, and 38.2% of patients in the CSCD group, respectively. A total of 15.1% of the NSND patients had SCC of the lower gingiva and floor of the mouth, which was lower than the 35.6% of patients in the CSCD group. CSCD patients were likely to have an advanced disease stage (48.7% vs 32.5%, p=0.042) and poorly differentiated cancer (26.6% vs 16.3%, p=0.042). The NSND patients had a mean Ki-67 index of 24.5%, which was lower than the mean of 35.7% in the CSCD patients. The two groups had no HPV infection and similar p16 expression (4.7% vs 10.1%, p=0.132), but there was higher expression of p53 (38.6% vs 17.4%, p<0.001) and p63 (59.9% vs 29.1%, p<0.001) in the CSCD group. The 5-year LRC rates for NSND patients and CSCD patients were 48% and 38%, respectively, and the difference was significant (p=0.048). The 5-year DSS rates for NSND patients and CSCD patients were 56% and 39%, respectively, and the difference was significant (p=0.047). Further, a Cox model confirmed the independence of smoking and drinking status for affecting LRC and DSS. Conclusion: NSND oral SCC patients are a different entity. HPV infection has a limited role in carcinogenesis in NSND patients, and p16 expression is associated with worse locoregional control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking‐ and nonsmoking‐associated lung cancers have different mechanisms of carcinogenesis. We divided non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients into nonsmoking and smoking groups with the aim of trying to understand the utility of brain‐specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) expression in the separate groups. Methods: Clinicopathological data were obtained from 148 patients who had undergone surgery for NSCLC of the lung. Tissue microarray blocks were made of samples from NSCLC patients. Two pathologists graded the intensity of BAI1 expression as high or low expression in the cancer cells of patients in the smoking and nonsmoking groups. Results: NSCLC nonsmokers with higher BAI1 nuclear expression had poor disease‐specific survival (DSS) (hazard ratio: 2.679; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.022–7.022, p = 0.045). The Kaplan–Meier survival curve confirmed that higher BAI1 expression was significantly associated with poor DSS (p = 0.034) in the nonsmoking group. Conclusions: We divided NSCLC patients into nonsmoking and smoking groups and found that nuclear BAI1 expression was related to patient survival in nonsmoking NSCLC patients. We suggest BAI1 expression as a predictive marker of nonsmoking‐associated NSCLC and recommend that it be evaluated as an AJCC staging criterion in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the effect of smoking and drinking on survival of patients with oral cancer by comparing the characteristics and survival of nonsmoking and nondrinking (NSND) patients in contrast to smoking and/or drinking (SD) patients. Methods: This prospective study including 1165 patients with oral cancer was conducted in Fujian, China from January 2005 to January 2019. The patients were categorized to two groups, the NSND group and SD group. We compared overall survival and disease‐specific survival between the two groups using the Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression before and after propensity score matching (PSM) to explore the effect of smoking and drinking on the prognosis of patients with oral cancer. Results: NSND patients accounted for 55.45% (646 patients) of all the patients with oral cancer. SD patients with oral cancer tended to be older and mainly are male (98.46%) and with more advanced disease status. There are trends toward both higher risk of all‐cause death (HR = 1.678; 95% CI: 1.086‐2.594) and oral cancer specific death (HR = 1.632; 95% CI: 1.044‐2.552) in SD patients with oral cancer before PSM. After PSM, the association is still significant, with adjusted HR of 1.897 (95% CI: 1.138‐3.165) for all‐cause death and adjusted HR of 1.764 (95% CI: 1.043‐2.983) for oral cancer‐specific death. Additionally, PSM can improve the HR value and result in a stronger association. Conclusions: Social and clinical characteristics of NSND patients differed from SD patients with oral cancer. SD patients with oral cancer have higher all‐cause mortality and oral cancer‐specific mortality than NSND patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we examined Japanese older adults’ health habits (healthy diet, exercise, and nonsmoking) using 4 models: sensitive period, pathway, social mobility, and cumulative effects. Methods: A representative cross-sectional survey of people 65 years and older, living in Tokyo, produced 739 effective respondents. Health habits in social networks over the life course, at junior high school, age 20, and age 40, were measured through retrospective recall questions. Ordinary regression and logistic regression were used separately to analyze healthy diet and exercise/nonsmoking. Results: Regarding pathway effects, standardized coefficients of indirect health habits in social networks on late-life health habits were healthy diet = .073 (p < .05) and exercise = .125 (p < .001). Regarding social mobility effects, standardized coefficients of change to poorer health habits in social networks over the life course on late-life health habits, compared to maintaining healthy habits were healthy diet = -.121 (p < .01) and exercise e= -.235 (p < .05). Regarding cumulative effects, standardized coefficients of no exposure to better health habits in social networks over the life course were healthy diet = -0.103 (p < .01) and exercise = -.395 (p < .01). Conclusions: Three models – pathway, social mobility, and cumulative effects – may explain how healthy diet and exercise in social networks over the life course influence these health habits in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While cigarette smoking in the United States has declined, the age range of smoking initiation has risen to include young adults. This study investigated the relationship of Theory of Planned Behavior constructs (TPB; attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control [PBC]) to nonsmoking intention among college students. Participants: Participants were 619 students at a Southeastern US university (69.8% female, 70.8% ≤ age 21, and 73.5% white). Methods: Students were recruited by email in March 2013 to participate in an online TPB-based questionnaire. Results: Future-oriented attitudes and PBC predicted higher nonsmoking intention; subjective norms did not. Moderator analyses indicated injunctive norms were more influential for occasional smokers and PBC was less influential. Conclusions: Findings suggest TPB is useful in predicting nonsmoking intention, but differentially for nonsmokers and occasional smokers. Future work should consider the health-related utility of future-oriented attitudes toward nonhealth domains and the differing beliefs of occasional smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is known to cause high mortality and morbidity. The study aimed to explore the association between rs3733845 and rs3733846 polymorphisms in the promoter region of miR-143/145 and the risk of lung cancer among 575 nonsmoking cases and 575 cancer-free controls in a Chinese female population. We genotyped two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of miR-143/145 in 575 cases and 575 controls using TaqMan allelic discrimination method. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between polymorphisms in the promoter of miR-143/miR-145 and risk of lung cancer females. Crossover analysis was used to explore the interaction between the two SNPs and environmental risk factors (cooking oil fume exposure and passive smoking exposure). The results showed that both rs3733845 and rs3733846 polymorphisms were associated with an increased lung adenocarcinoma risk in dominant model (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.329, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 1.026–1.723, p = 0.031 and adjusted OR = 1.450, 95% CI = 1.112–1.890, p = 0.006, respectively). The results of crossover analysis revealed that rs3733845 and rs3733846 risk genotypes along with cooking oil exposure increased lung cancer risk by 1.862-fold and 2.260-fold, respectively (adjusted OR = 1.862, 95% CI = 1.105–3.138, p = 0.020 for rs3733845; adjusted OR = 2.260, 95% CI = 1.354–3.769, p = 0.002 for rs3733846). There was positive multiplicative interaction between the two SNPs and cooking oil fume exposure (adjusted OR = 1.362, 95% CI = 1.078–1.719, p = 0.009 for oil × rs3733845; adjusted OR = 1.399, 95% CI = 1.122–1.745, p = 0.003 for oil × rs3733846). In nonsmoking females, rs3733845 and rs3733846 polymorphisms might be associated with lung adenocarcinoma risk. Moreover, the interactions between the two SNPs and cooking oil fume exposure were statistically significant on a multiplicative scale rather than an addictive scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, there has been a change in the epidemiology of oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OC‐SCC). Many new cases of OC‐SCC lack the recognized risk factors of smoking, alcohol and human papilloma virus. The aim of this study was to determine if the oral microbiome may be associated with OC‐SCC in nonsmoking HPV negative patients. We compared the oral microbiome of HPV‐negative nonsmoker OC‐SCC(n = 18), premalignant lesions(PML) (n = 8) and normal control patients (n = 12). Their oral microbiome was sampled by oral wash and defined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We report that the periodontal pathogens Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Alloprevotella were enriched while commensal Streptococcus depleted in OC‐SCC. Based on the four genera plus a marker genus Veillonella for PML, we classified the oral microbiome into two types. Gene/pathway analysis revealed a progressive increase of genes encoding HSP90 and ligands for TLRs 1, 2 and 4 along the controls→PML → OC‐SCC progression sequence. Our findings suggest an association between periodontal pathogens and OC‐SCC in non smoking HPV negative patients. What's new? Many recent cases of oral‐cavity squamous‐cell cancer (OC‐SCC) lack known risk factors such as smoking or HPV infection. In this study, the authors found that the oral microbiome of patients with OC‐SCC differed from normal controls. They also found that periodontal pathogens may contribute to the development of oral cancer by increasing inflammation, via increased expression of HSP90 and TLR ligands. These results have important public‐health implications for more efficient screening and early detection of OCSCC. Such patients might even be treated with antibiotics or probiotic agents to prevent further cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the smoking ban that has been implemented in several European Union countries such as Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, and France, the Dutch have been reluctant to implement a total smoking ban in bars. The smoking ban is widely believed to reduce nicotine levels inhaled by bar workers and customers, reduce air pollution, indirectly help potential quitters move towards having a healthy lifestyle, and protect the public from potential health risks. Further, restrictions to smoking have led to a reduction in the number of individuals who smoke, provided smoke-free environments, and decreased the exposure of children and youth to advertisements encouraging smoking behavior. Although the potential benefits of the smoking ban have been established, some bar owners in The Netherlands are reluctant to follow the implementation of the ban. Reasons mentioned by bar owners for noncompliance include minimal sanctions, competitors that allowed smoking in their bar, and delayed enforcement. Reasons to comply include: if the cost for compliance were minimal, if competitors were complying, and if the implementation of law were consistent and coordinated. In this study we simulated the behavior of smoking and nonsmoking individuals with different addiction, annoyance, and intolerance levels. Using agent-based modelling our agents were initialized with these attributes either as 1 or 2 wherein 1 represented a low level and 2 a high level. In our model we simulated how a complaining behavior can enforce a social norm, such as “no smoking is allowed.” We focused on how complaining elicits obedience to accepted norms on the basis that complaining promotes normative obedience and discourages misconduct about noncompliance of smoking individuals. Secondary to this goal is the expectation that because smoking is banned in bars but may be allowed in some other bars, a segregation of groups may emerge as a consequence of sanctioning an illegal behavior in some bars but accepting itin other bars.

Smoking is a major risk factor in the development of preventable disease which may be due to a poorer diet and the reduced nutrient intake of smokers. Our objective was to compare and evaluate the reported intake of current smokers with that of nonsmokers among participants of a study evaluating stress and smoking. We hypothesized (1) that overall energy and nutrient intake would be reduced in smokers compared with nonsmokers and (2) that smokers would have increased noncompliance with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Men and women (smokers n = 138, nonsmokers n = 46) completed a 3-day diet record at baseline. Mean energy and nutrient intakes were stratified by smoking status and compared with DRI levels. The mean body mass index was 28.3 ± 0.5 kg/m 2 for smokers and 27.2 ± 1.0 kg/m 2 for nonsmokers. Compared with nonsmokers, the smokers reported lower intakes of energy, total polyunsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, total sugars, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin E. Smokers reported reduced compliance with the DRIs for iron, phosphorus, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folate compared with nonsmokers. Unlike other evaluations of smokers vs nonsmokers, we observed no difference in body weight between groups. Smokers and nonsmokers alike reported dietary intakes lower than the DRIs for many nutrients. However, the reported nutrient intake of the smokers was substantially lower than nonsmokers for key nutrients, and they were more likely to not comply with the DRIs for essential nutrients, placing them at increased risk of chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with poor survival in advanced stage. Nowadays the rate of nonsmoking patients has dramatically increased and may be associated with the presence of driver mutations. Better understanding of the mutation profile data of nonsmoking LUAD patients are critical to predict survival and provide greater benefits to more patients. The apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) has been shown to play an important role in molecular tumorigenesis of NSCLC. However, the clinical relevance of APOBEC in nonsmoking LUAD remains to be understood., Methods: LUAD patients with somatic mutation and RNA sequencing data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were assessed and screened in the Gene Expression Omnibus. Transcriptome data and mutational signatures were analyzed using R package. Then, we used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model to construct the APOBEC3 score (APOBEC3 score) model. The prognostic value was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Finally, the functional enrichment analysis of differential expressed genes (DEGs) and the immune-related features were also estimated using R package., Results: By analyzing the mutational profile data of NSCLC in the TCGA database, we found that different mutation patterns existed between smoking and nonsmoking patients, and the APOBEC3 family played an important role in the mutation pattern of nonsmoking patients with LUAD. We established an APOBEC3 score and found that TCW (W = A or T) mutation counts were significantly greater in the high APOBEC3 score group than in the low APOBEC3 score group. Furthermore, there were different immune feathers and prognostic values between the high and low APOBEC3 score patients, suggesting an independent prognostic factor of APOBEC3 in nonsmoking LUAD patients., Conclusions: We established a comprehensive view of APOBEC3 mutations in nonsmoking LUAD patients. Our review provides new insights into using the APOBEC3 mutation to predict prognosis and improve the immunotherapy response for future applications., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-23-150/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Background: It has been shown that smoking habits characterize an increased risk for impaired Osseo integration or bone healing and finally implant failure. Purpose: The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to investigate the impact of cigarette smoking and nonsmoking on the bone healing around locking-taper dental implants. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was made over a 4 years and 9 months period of the clinical and radiographic findings corresponding to 54 consecutive patients (34 women and 20 men) who had received a total of 162 implants. Patients were divided into two groups: Smokers, 20 patients (received 72 implants); and nonsmokers (NS), 34 patients (received 90 implants). Smokers were identified as people smoking >15 cigarettes per day. The success and failure cases were evaluated and studied. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Four implants out of 162 implants (2.46%) failed and had to be removed. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the results indicated a high success rate 97.5% (158/162). No real difference in proportion of failure of implant placement both smokers and NS (P = 0.8577). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Human exposure to benzene is associated with multiple adverse health effects with an increased risk of developing carcinogenesis. Benzene exposure is known to affect many critical organs including the hematological, hepatic, renal, lung, and cardiac functions. The purpose of this study is to examine the health effects of benzene exposure among nonsmoking subjects from a prolonged flaring incident that occurred at the British petroleum (BP) refinery in the Texas City, Texas. Methods The study included nonsmoking subjects who had been exposed and unexposed to benzene. Using medical charts, clinical data including white blood cell (WBC) counts, platelet counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), and alanine amino transferase (ALT) in nonsmoking subjects exposed to benzene were reviewed and analyzed and compared with unexposed adults. Results A total of 1422 nonsmoking subjects (benzene exposed, n = 1093 and unexposed, n = 329) were included. Benzene exposed subjects had significantly higher levels of WBC (× 10³ per µL) counts (7.7 ± 2.2 versus 6.8 ± 1.7, P = 0.001) and platelet (× 10³ per µL) counts (288.8 ± 59.0 versus 245.3 ± 54.4, P = 0.001) compared with the unexposed subjects. The mean serum creatinine (mg/dL) levels were also significantly increased in the benzene exposed group compared with the unexposed group (1.1 ± 0.4 versus 0.8 ± 0.2, P = 0.001). Serum levels of ALP (IU/L) was significantly elevated in the benzene exposed subjects compared with the unexposed subjects (87.3 ± 22.6 versus 69.6 ± 16.5, P = 0.001). Similarly, benzene exposed subjects had significantly higher levels of AST and ALT compared with those unexposed subjects. Conclusion Benzene exposure from the prolonged BP flaring incident caused significant alterations in hematological and liver markers indicating that these nonsmoking residents exposed to refinery chemicals may be at a higher risk of developing hepatic or blood related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although adolescents ultimately make their own decisions to smoke or not to smoke, social, economic, and environmental circumstances shape their choices. Most research on prevention of youth tobacco use focuses on predictors of smoking initiation. In this study, we explored nonsmoking attitudes, beliefs, and norms from the perspective of 16–17-year-old nonsmokers. Design: This qualitative study targeted nonsmoking youths because most social policy in the arena of tobacco prevention aims to support adolescents who are tobacco free. Sample: Participants were 39 nonsmokers recruited from youth organizations in an urban community and included 22 African Americans (12 females; 10 males) and 17 Caucasian Americans (10 females; 7 males). Methods: A health behavior framework guided the development of semistructured questions on attitudes, beliefs, and norms associated with nonsmoking, used in eight in-depth group interviews. Results: Concerns for health and addiction, a positive self-image, and perceived confidence, emerged as factors affecting participants' decisions not to smoke. The approval of parents and friends, and personal beliefs further reinforced adolescents' nonsmoking decisions. Conclusions: There were more commonalities than differences in nonsmoking attitudes across gender and race. Future studies of youth tobacco prevention should employ multifaceted approaches targeting adolescents' attitudes, families, and peer networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To recognize specific clinicopathological characteristics of non-smoking and non-drinking (NSND) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. This can increase our knowledge regarding a potentially different carcinogenesis in these patients. Study design/methods: Retrospective analysis of data for 195 NSND patients with HNSCC and comparison with data for patients with HNSCC obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Results: Compared with all HNSCC patients in the Netherlands, our NSND patients with HNSCC were typically female ( n = 142; 73% vs 26%), old at disease presentation (mean 73 years vs 64 years), and had tumors mainly of the oral cavity ( n = 130; 66% vs 25%). Most tumors were stage I ( n = 67; 34%) and stage IVA ( n = 59; 30%). The incidence of second primary tumors (SPTs) was high ( n = 32; 16%), mainly occurring in the oral cavity ( n = 26; 13%). Discussion/conclusion: Our study confirms that NSND HNSCC patients have different clinicopathological characteristics from those of the overall HNSCC population; however, the frequency of SPTs is as high in NSND patients as in patients who smoke and drink alcohol. More research, and particularly molecular data are needed to obtain a better understanding of head and neck cancer in NSND patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: Cigarette smoking has been implicated in low back pain and intervertebral disc degeneration; however, there is no conclusive evidence that cigarette smoking is an important contributing factor to intervertebral disc degeneration. Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine whether heavy cigarette smoking is a contributing factor to the development and severity of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. Study Design: This is a comparative roentgenographic study of degenerative changes of the cervical spine in age- and sex-matched smokers and nonsmokers. Patient Sample: Two hundred asymptomatic subjects, 100 women and 100 men, were equally divided into 50 nonsmokers and 50 heavy smokers. Outcome Measures: A numerical grading system previously developed was used to grade the presence and severity of degenerative changes at each cervical level, and cervical lordosis was measured. This was performed on a lateral cervical spine roentgenogram. Methods: A single lateral roentgenogram of the cervical spine was taken in each individual, and in the smokers a short questionnaire was administered to determine the amount and duration of smoking. The roentgenograms were read by the three authors. Average values of all three observers were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between smokers and nonsmokers. Conclusions: Based on the evidence of the plain roentgenograms used in this study, we found no evidence to suggest that cigarette smoking is a causative factor in asymptomatic people in the development of degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine. Whether cigarette smoking has a significant effect in people with neck symptoms cannot be determined by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that 20% of lung cancer cases in the United States are among never smokers, yet current screening recommendations only include a small subset of high-risk patients. In this study, 2 models were used to predict the risk of developing lung cancer in subgroups of never smoking patients with additional risk variables. The Liverpool Lung Project (LLP) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) were 2 models used to calculate risk of developing lung cancer. Risk was calculated as a function of age for developing lung cancer within the next 5 to 10 years. PLCO estimated a peak risk of 16.20% at age 75 for 30-pack-year smokers with a first-degree relative with lung cancer. LLP estimated a peak risk of 7.3% over the next 5 years at age 79 for men with 30-pack-year and a first-degree relative with early-onset lung cancer (<60 years). Female never smokers with cumulative variables other than smoking had a peak risk of 3.40% for age 74 to 75 years. In contrast, women with only 30-pack-year smoking history and no other variable had a peak risk of 2.20% at age 74 to 75 years. Models such as LLP and PLCO might be used to identify risk for patients who would otherwise not receive lung cancer screening. These individual risk assessments can be used by patients and providers to assess if one is at substantial risk for developing lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to confirm the association of the status of implementation of nonsmoking at eating and drinking establishments with the prevalence of persons with subjective symptoms, the prevalence of persons with diseases under treatment, medical expenses, and mortality rate using prefectural data., Methods: The prefectural rate of eating and drinking establishments implementing nonsmoking (hereafter, nonsmoking rate) was calculated using the data from "Tabelog ® ". The variables of interest were the prevalence of persons with subjective symptoms, the prevalence of persons with diseases under treatment, medical expenses (total, hospitalization and nonhospitalization expenses), and the mortality rates of malignant neoplasms (lung cancer, stomach cancer, and colon cancer), heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, cerebral infarction, and pneumonia in each prefecture. The partial correlation coefficient was estimated between the nonsmoking rate and the variable of interest using the smoking rate by prefectural as the control variable., Results: The nonsmoking rate showed a significantly negative correlation with the medical expenses. When eating and drinking establishments were divided into "restaurant", "café", and "bar", the nonsmoking rate also indicated a significantly negative correlation with the medical expenses in any category. It was negatively related to the mortality rates of cerebrovascular disease, cerebral infarction, and pneumonia. The negative correlation was stronger in females than in males., Conclusions: These results suggest that the implementation of nonsmoking at eating and drinking establishments may reduce the mortality rates of diseases, such as cerebrovascular disease, cerebral infarction, and pneumonia, and medical expenses. Thus, it is important to implement nonsmoking at eating and drinking establishments in line with the Revised Health Promotion Act.