The effects continue even after quitting.
The detrimental effects of smoking on health are well-documented, and recent research highlights yet another concerning aspect: Smoking significantly alters the immune system, leaving individuals more susceptible to diseases and infections, even long after quitting.
Dr. Violaine Saint-André, a specialist in computational biology at Institut Pasteur in Paris and co-author of the study, emphasized the urgency of quitting smoking, especially for young people, to preserve long-term immunity and avoid the detrimental effects observed.
Published on February 14 in the journal Nature, the study elucidates how smoking compromises the body’s ability to combat infections and may elevate the risk of autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
The researchers, analyzing blood samples from 1,000 healthy individuals aged 20 to 69 over time, examined various factors such as lifestyle, socioeconomic status, diet, age, sex, and genetics to understand their influence on immune response. Exposure of the blood samples to common pathogens like E. coli bacteria and the flu virus allowed the researchers to gauge immune reaction.
The study revealed that smoking, along with body mass index and latent herpes virus infection, exerted the most significant impact on the immune system, with smoking exhibiting the most pronounced effect. Even after cessation, smokers showed only partial recovery of immune response over years.
Dr. Darragh Duffy, co-author and head of the Translational Immunology unit at Institut Pasteur, highlighted the encouraging aspect that immune response begins to reset upon quitting smoking, underscoring the importance of cessation.
Moreover, the research demonstrated a dose-response relationship, indicating that the more individuals smoked, the greater the alteration in their immune response. Smoking appeared to have enduring effects on both the innate and adaptive immune systems. While the innate response rebounded quickly after quitting, the adaptive response remained impaired even in former smokers.
Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Medical Association, remarked that the study sheds light on why even former smokers remain susceptible to conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), providing insights into the underlying mechanisms.
In essence, the study underscores the profound and lasting impact of smoking on immune function, reinforcing the imperative of smoking cessation to safeguard long-term health and immunity.
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