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Nicotine and human diseases

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Part of the book series: Experientia Supplementum ((EXS,volume 71))

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis is a disease of lifelong non-smokers and ex-smokers. The initial observation was made almost by chance in 1981 and showed that only 8 percent of 230 patients with colitis were current smokers compared with 44 percent of matched controls. Since then, many observations of patient populations both hospital and community based, with controls, have confirmed the finding. A meta-analysis on selected studies showed the relationship to be remarkably consistent in terms of the direction of findings; a comparison of former smokers with life-long non smokers showed a significantly greater risk among former smokers. Patients with colitis who are ex-smokers. usually develop their disease within a few years of cessation of smoking. There is little reliable data on the effect of smoking on activity of disease because of the inherent difficulties in such studies. However, half of a group of 30 patients who were intermittent smokers noted improvement of symptoms over six weeks while smoking twenty cigarettes daily. In attempts to identify the reason for benefit from smoking, nicotine has been tested formally using transdermal nicotine patches in a controlled trial involving 77 patients with active colitis; those given nicotine benefited significantly more than controls. Epidemiological data strongly supports the association of non-smoking with ulcerative colitis. Nicotine is probably the active ingredient responsible for this effect and may be of therapeutic value in active disease or prevention of relapse. Mechanisms responsible for the association remain an enigma but may involve mucosal eicosanoids and intestinal mucus.

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© 1994 Springer Basel AG

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Thomas, G. et al. (1994). Nicotine and human diseases. In: Clarke, P.B.S., Quik, M., Thurau, K., Adlkofer, F. (eds) International Symposium on Nicotine: The Effects of Nicotine on Biological Systems II. Experientia Supplementum, vol 71. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7416-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7416-8_6

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-5087-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7416-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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