SOCIETY
No ifs and butts 

The risk of dying due to lung cancer is 20 times higher among women who smoke than among those who don’t, writes Kavita Devgan

So you’ve been told umpteen times that cigarette smoking is injurious to health. After all, tobacco affects the lungs, causes various types of cancer, brings on heart ailments, triggers tuberculosis and causes osteoporosis to set in. But if you are a woman, then it is time you paid heed to the statutory warning on your cigarette pack. The reason being that more women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. And having said that, the risk of dying of lung cancer is 20 times higher among women who smoke than among women who don’t, say some reports.

Of course, making matters worse is the gender bias that tobacco has for women’s hearts. Says Dr Vivek Gupta, senior cardiologist at Delhi’s Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals:"Smokers have higher LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (good) levels. In developing heart disease, smoking seems to have a more powerful effect in women than men." Smoking is also closely associated with newly-born underweight babies.

Ready to stub out your last cigarette? Easier said than done, cry many smokers. Sadly, women smokers are worse off here as well as they often have a tougher time quitting than do men. Scientists are beginning to understand why. According to a study in nicotine & tobacco research, published in the US, men draw more physical satisfaction from nicotine, whereas most women smoke for psychological succour, which is why it becomes tougher for them to get off the addiction. But the rewards of quitting are lifelong. "When you quit your blood pressure decreases, chances of a heart attack go down, and blood circulation begins to improve within two to 12 weeks. In fact, in as little as six months to a year, your heart health can return to normal," explains Dr Gupta. While it is never too late to quit, the earlier you do the better—-or so suggests a study published by Health Services Research. It shows that former smokers can expect to live as long and as healthy as non-smokers, if they manage to stay off smoking for at least 15 years before they turn 50. So here are some tips to pack away the habit
for good:

For women, the menstrual cycle plays a role in withdrawal symptoms. According to a report in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, women who quit smoking during the second half of their menstrual cycle tend to experience more anxiety, depression and irritability than those who quit during the first half.

Advises Dr Shikha Sharma, a New Delhi-based obesity consultant: "Eat sunflower seeds or walk it off on the treadmill to take your mind off cigarettes. You might actually lose a few
pounds, too, in the process. Don’t diet while you are quitting. The double dose of deprivation is a one-way ticket to failure. Instead, focus on eating three healthy meals a day and snacking healthy. Drink lots of water. It will help flush the nicotine and other chemicals out of your body and help reduce cravings," she says.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that regular workouts can make an important contribution. Brown University (US) researchers took 281 health but sedentary female smokers and divided them at random into two groups. Half the women received three supervised exercise sessions and the other half received three health education lectures each week. At the end of 12 weeks, the group that had exercised had a significantly higher percentage of successful quitters than the other group. The score was: 19 per cent versus 10 per cent.

Women in the exercising group had gained an average of 6.6 pounds only, 80 per cent less than their counterparts who had put on an average of 11.9 pounds.

The asanas (yogic postures) enhance lung capacity, oxygenate the cells and increase circulation, thereby energising the entire body. Smoking does the opposite. Plus, the discipline one gets from practising yoga and meditation helps smokers find the strength to kick the nicotine habit," says New Delhi-based yoga teacher Abhinav Sagar.

Studies show that women do benefit if they have a shoulder to lean on. "Women seem to rely more heavily on informal social ties for all things than men," explains Dr Avdesh Sharma, a consultant psychiatrist at Parivartan Centre for Mental Health, New Delhi. And support isn’t limited to a spouse, partner, or friend. Some successful quitters take comfort in chat rooms for ex-smokers. Some turn to hypnotic therapy with success. In fact, the American Cancer Society promotes hypnosis as one of many techniques for quitting.

"I have realised that I am unable to quit smoking as almost everyone at my workplace smokes. In fact, whenever I try, it’s in vain, " rues Amrita Kishore (27). A study supported by the California Wellness Foundation and published in the American Journal of Public Health has found that smokers who work in communities with strong smoking ordinances are 38 per cent more likely to quit than those who work in communities with no such restrictions. So encourage a non-smoking work environment.— WFS

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