The Impact of Smoking on Women's Health - McAfee, T. & Burnette, D.

Question 1

Adenocarcinoma

Answer 1

Type of cancer that starts in mucus-producing glandular cells of your body.

Question 2

Cardiovascular Disease

Answer 2

Includes narrow or blocked arteries in and around the heart (coronary heart disease), heart attack (acute myocardial infarction), stroke, and heart-related chest pain (angina pectoris). Also includes high blood pressure (hypertension), peripheral arterial and peripheral vascular disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Question 3

Ectopic pregnancy

Answer 3

A condition in which the fertilized egg fails to pass through the oviduct to the uterus and instead attaches to the wall of the oviduct or elsewhere outside the uterus. Ectopic pregnancy almost always results in death of the embryo and poses a serious risk to the health of the mother.
Smoking is a cause of ectopic pregnancy

Question 4

Placental abruption

Answer 4

A condition in which the placenta detaches from the uterus before the pregnancy reaches term.

Proper growth and development of the fetus depend on the placenta. Women who smoke have a higher risk of placental abruption, which leads to preterm delivery and can result in the death of the mother or child.

Question 5

Placenta Previa

Answer 5

A condition in which the placenta partially blocks the cervix. Placenta previa can also lead to preterm delivery or death of the mother or baby.

Question 6

How does combusted tobacco impact the immune system?

Answer 6

It affects the responses of the immune system; both immune-activating and immune-suppressive effects occur as a result of smoking. Altered immunity from smoking is associated with higher risk for pulmonary infections and increased risk for a number of specific immune and autoimmune conditions.
Ex). Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis and interferes with the effectiveness of some treatment for the disease.

Question 7

What is the relationship between smoking and relative risk for diabetes?

Answer 7

Higher risk for diabetes as the number of cigarettes smoked increases.
Reports have found that smoking complicates the management of diabetes and that smokers who have been diagnosed with diabetes are at a higher risk for kidney disease, blindness, and circulatory complications that can lead to amputations. The risk of developing diabetes is 30-40% higher for active smokers than for nonsmokers.

Question 8

Abstract of this article

Answer 8

• Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable disease and death in the US
• Tobacco companies have aggressively marketed their products to women, which resulted in steady increases in smoking-related disease risk for women
• Today, women smokers now face equal risks as men for lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Women’s risk for developing smoking-related heart disease or dying from COPD now exceeds men’s risk

Question 9

What are effective strategies in reducing smoking prevalance?

Answer 9

• Higher prices on tobacco products
• Smoke-free policies that protect the health of nonsmokers and reduce the social acceptability of smoking
• Barrier-free access to cessation assistance for all smokers who want to quit
• Funding of state programs at CDC-recommended levels

Question 10

End-game strategies

Answer 10

Additional actions to those already in place to rapidly reduce the use of tobacco
Ex). Reducing the amount of nicotine in tobacco products to nonaddictive levels and additional restrictions.