Cigarettes have the potential to cause a variety of harm to the health of those who smoke, as well as those who are exposed to smoke. However, one study published earlier this year revealed that effects of smoking can affect up to 3 generations. Keep reading and understand the details better.
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One of the main damages of exposure to cigarettes is the emergence of diseases such as cancer. This is because the lung is the most affected organ, although it can appear in other parts of the body. In addition, cigarettes also contribute to the emergence of problems such as coronary heart disease, ulcers and infections in the respiratory tract.
In Brazil, thanks to public policies for smoking cessation, the percentage of Brazilians smokers dropped from 34.8% in 1989 to 12.6% in 2019, according to data from the National Cancer Institute (INCA). However, the habit of smoking is still a relatively common addiction that can trigger serious outcomes.
A study identified for the first time that great-granddaughters of men who started smoking before puberty (aged 11 years or younger) are more likely to have excess body fat in adolescence, according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) and the circumference of the waist.
Scientists have observed that the granddaughters of men who started smoking before the age of 13 showed excess fat between the ages of 17 and 24. Regarding the grandchildren of these men, no such association was found.
Despite being a work with limitations, this finding reinforces the role of genetic inheritance in development of health problems, as well as the individual's current lifestyle can also favor or prevent illnesses. Therefore, the habits of your ancestors also influence your health status.
This finding may indicate that exposure to tobacco (or even smoke) can have consequences that span generations. However, the authors point out that further studies are needed in order to gather more data to better understand the transgenerational effects of smoking.
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