Men who smoke are at a greater risk of losing their “Y”, the sex-determining chromosomes

What does this mean? If cancer, heart disease, and emphysema weren’t bad enough, male smokers may have another thing to worry about. The latest research shows that male cigarette smokers greatly increase their chances of losing Y chromosomes in their blood cells. rnThis cripples the cells, causing them to function abnormally and allowing the chance of disease and cancer to take hold. Smokers may be up to four times more likely to have blood cells with no Y chromosome than nonsmokers. This is major cause for concern, because a recent study linked the Y chromosome loss and a shorter life span, as well as a higher risk of multiple cancers. Research has also shown that male smokers are more likely to develop cancer outside of the respiratory tract than female smokers. Out of the 46 chromosomes in our cells, two are sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y. Scientists believe these Y chromosomes contain around 50-60 genes, many unique to the Y. These genes provide instructions for creating protein. So you can see, the Y chromosome is involved in much more than sex determination and reproduction. Prof. Dumanski, published in Nature Genetics, says: "Our results indicate that the Y chromosome has a role in tumor suppression, and they might explain why men get cancer more rnoften than women. “We believe that analyses of the Y chromosome could in the rnfuture become a useful general marker to predict the risk for men to develop cancer.” The general hypothesis is that immune cells known to fight cancer, may be particularly targeted. The good news is that Y chromosome damage caused by smoking can be reversed. More experimental work will be necessary to further prove that smoking directly causes Y chromosomes to disappear and also to explain exactly how cigarettes may bring about this side effect. But the best advice for overall optimum health is to stop smoking. Tips on how to quit smoking: Quitting smoking is tough. One must ignore the cravings of nicotine and create new healthy habits with positive results. Despite how many years you may have been smoking, and how many times you may have tried to quit in the past, results have shown that a combination of these top ten suggestions have proven to be the most effective ways to quit smoking for good. Above all, note that Cigarette smoking causes cancer. 1. Set a quit date: don’t quit on a whim, but develop a planrn2. Nicotine replacement: use a patch or gumrn3. Cognitive therapy: a technique of keeping notes of the times and triggers to see the pattern to enable incorporating a plan of action and change of responsern4. Seek professional counsel from a health care provider or therapistrn5. Enlist your social network: ask friends, family and co-workers for help, ideas and encouragementrn6. Exercise: even a short walk can help diminish the craving and reduce stressrn7. Lift weights: resistance training strengthens your body and mindrn8. Send a message: texting or use of computer provides a good distractionrn9. Download a smoking Apprn10. Avoid E-Cigarettes: there is not enough research to expose the possible negative side effects Putting at least a few if not most of these ways will maximize your chance of succeeding. Good luck and happy health!