Biomed Radio - Washington University School Of Medicine In St. Louis

Smokers with a specific genetic variation are more likely to keep smoking longer than those who don’t have the gene variant. They’re also more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer at a younger age, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. SMOKERS WITH A SPECIFIC GENE VARIANT ARE LIKELY TO KEEP SMOKING LONGER THAN THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE THE GENE. RESEARCHERS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST. LOUIS LED A STUDY THAT ALSO FOUND THAT THOSE WHO HAVE THE GENE VARIANT AND SMOKE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER AT A YOUNGER AGE. JIM DRYDEN REPORTS… THE RESEARCH TEAM, LED BY GENETICS AND ADDICTION RESEARCHERS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST. LOUIS, ANALYZED DATA GATHERED FROM MORE THAN 29 THOUSAND SMOKERS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN 24 STUDIES. THEY FOUND THAT WHEN SMOKERS HAD A PARTICULAR VARIATION IN A NICOTINE RECEPTOR GENE, THEY WERE LIKELY TO HAVE A HARDER TIME QUITTING. THE RESEARCHERS REACHED THAT