Research Finds Genetic Link to Smoking Addiction
New research has uncovered a genetic link that makes people more likely to become addicted to nicotine, less likely to quit smoking, and more likely to develop certain smoking-related diseases.
One study estimates that the gene accounts for 18% of lung cancer cases and 10% of perpheral arterial disease in smokers. Another study reports that a smoker who inherits this genetic variant from both parents has an 80% greater chance of developing lung cancer than a smoker without the genetic variant.
The new research sheds more light on the nature of nicotine addiction and helps us to better understand our own relationship with tobacco and the potential risks involved in smoking. The better we understand our smoking addiction, the better we can tailor treatment to be more effective and more suited to individual needs and the better we can succeed in ultimately overcoming nicotine addiction.
Links to this article on the web:
- Studies Find Genetic Link to Smoking at the New York Times
- NIDA Researchers Identify Genetic Variant Linked to Nicotine Addiction at National Institutes of Health
- See the summary of the published articles on this topic at the journal, Nature
