UNFILTERED CIGARETTES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AN EVEN GREATER RISK OF DEVELOPING LUNGS CANCER

Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina evaluated how different types of tobacco products are associated with the risk of lung cancer and death. The scientists found that, compared to those who smoke cigarettes with a filter, for those who smoke cigarettes without a filter, the risk of developing lung cancer is 40%.

The researchers used data from the National Lung Screening Trial project that collected information on the health of nearly 53.5 thousand Americans.
Smoking unfiltered cigarettes is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer by up to 40% more compared to smoking cigarettes with a filter. This conclusion was made by American scientists who have studied information on tobacco use and the health of Americans. The report was presented at the 2019 ATC conference organized by the American Thoracic Society.

Despite the fact that major medical research clearly indicates that the only way to reduce bodily harm when smoking is to stop using tobacco in general, smokers are still looking for ways to reduce the risks caused by their habit. (Read: The two conflicting views on cigarette smuggling figures)

One of these methods - using a filter - has been actively used in tobacco products since the 1950s: artificial filter fibers made from cellulose acetate reduce the level of inhaled tar and nicotine entering the body. Theoretically, it is possible to reduce the damage to the body by smoking filter cigarettes, but so far there has been little work devoted to this problem.

The filters Do Not Protect

Close-up Photo of Woman in Sunglasses Smoking a Cigarette

Now, researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina, under the leadership of Gerard Silvestri, decided to evaluate how different types of tobacco products are associated with the risk of lung cancer and death. To do this, they used data from the National Lung Screening Trial project that collected information on the health of nearly 53.5 thousand Americans.

As variables of analysis, the scientists used the diagnoses of lung cancer and mortality on the one hand; and on the other, the preferred type of cigarettes. In addition, researchers have studied the dependence of the type of cigarettes and some habits associated with smoking: an indicator of nicotine dependence and the number of cigarettes.

Scientists have found that, compared to those who smoke cigarettes with a filter, for those who smoke cigarettes without a filter, the risk of developing lung cancer is 40% higher (p = 0.0051), the risk of dying from the Lung cancer is twice as high (p <0.0001), and for all causes, increases by 30% (p = 0.0033). (You may be interested: Project of Hawaii proposes raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 100 years)

In addition, lovers of unfiltered cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine. Smoking various varieties of lightweight and ultralight cigarettes was not associated with a change in the risk of developing lung cancer and death, compared to smoking conventional cigarettes. However, the researchers found that lovers of light cigarettes are less dependent on smoking compared to those who smoke normal cigarettes, but quit less often. Menthol cigarettes and cigarettes with other flavors compared to normal cigarettes showed no effect on the variables studied.

The authors of the study concluded that smoking unfiltered cigarettes is associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer and ultimately death, although they did not mention the reasons for this relationship; this should be studied in later works.

Another strategy that smokers who want to reduce the harm of their habit can use is to reduce the amount of cigarettes. However, last year, scientists have shown that this may be useless: according to the results of a meta-analysis of 55 articles, it turned out that reducing cigarettes does not reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.