Even a single cigarette can be hazardous to young adults

After smoking a single cigarette, the airway tissue concentration of NO increased by 26%, and the FeNO levels decreased by 15.6%.

Washington: A new study has revealed that smoking even a single cigarette can impair health for young people.

It is understood that smoking leads to a reduction in levels of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), which is a marker for airway inflammation. However, there is limited knowledge about smoking-induced changes in the production and exchange of nitric oxide (NO) in young adults. The Greek researchers studied eight women and eight men with a mean age of 23 years and a smoking history of less than eight pack-years, They found that after smoking a single cigarette, the airway tissue concentration of NO increased by 26 percent, and the FeNO levels decreased by 15.6 percent. This reduction can lead to a limited flux of NO in the airways of young adults, significantly impairing health. This research was presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). ANI