New Research Explains Why Smoking is More of a Risk Factor for Men
New research finds an association between smoking and the loss of the Y chromosome in blood cells, which authors say may help explain why smoking is more of a risk factor for men than for women.
In the study, a team led by researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden assessed factors such as age, alcohol intake, blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking, in an effort to determine whether any of these variables could be linked to males losing the Y chromosome. In previous studies, the same team had found that men who lost the Y chromosome in large amounts of their blood cells had a lower survival rate, and also revealed a correlation between loss of the Y chromosome and mortality risk as a result of cancer.
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In their latest study, the Uppsala University investigators found an association between smoking and Y chromosome loss that was dose-dependent, essentially meaning that heavy smokers were more at risk for Y chromosome loss than were moderate smokers. This association was only seen in current smokers, according to the authors, who note that men who had quite smoking experienced the same level of Y chromosome loss as those who had never smoked.
The finding that smoking induces loss of the Y chromosome “thus links a preventable risk factor—smoking—with the most common acquired human mutation that is associated with cancer,” says Lars Forsberg, PhD, a researcher in the department of immunology, genetics, and pathology at Uppsala University, and a study co-author. “Importantly … the data also suggest that smoking has a transient and dose-dependent mutagenic effect on loss of Y chromosome status. In summary, smoking increases the risk for loss of the Y chromosome, and loss of the Y chromosome is associated with cancer. My advice is don’t smoke, but if you have been smoking, our data suggest that it is never too late to stop.”
While the authors have yet to determine the reason why chromosome Y loss in blood cells is connected to the development of cancer, they say the findings could encourage male smokers to kick the habit.
The findings “highlight an addition reason to quit smoking,” says Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, FAHA, a professor of molecular epidemiology at Uppsala University, and a co-author of the study, “as our study shows that smoking is associated with this chromosomal change that you acquire during life, and that we have shown to be associated with future illness in previous studies.”
—Mark McGraw
Reference
Dumanski J, Rasi C, et al. Smoking is associated with mosaic loss of chromosome Y. Science. 2014.