C-FORCE: Attention smokers: Quit smoking | Health & Fitness

As pointed out in US news Report, “ 2018 European Public Health Journal Smoking has been found to increase the risk of hospitalization for the flu. … there are many studies demonstrating that smoking irritates the lungs and suppresses immune function. It also weakens the heart, another risk factor for severe illness. ”One study quoted and published online Chinese medical journal “Of the 78 patients with COVID-19, those with a history of smoking were 14 times more likely to develop pneumonia.” Live science “Smokers may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19 infections, due to the large number of entry points in their lungs that can be exploited by the virus.”

As pointed out by Live sciencePreliminary studies have suggested that lungs exposed to cigarette smoke abnormally accumulate a large number of receptors known as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2, which damages organs by coronaviruses. It may make it easier to receive. Researchers in respiratory medicine at University College London have found that the ACE2 receptor hypothesis represents a “general, mechanical link” between smoking and severe infections. They also compared the lungs of smokers with those of nonsmokers, and found that smokers’ lungs were 40-50% more prevalent.

“But if smoking turns out to be uniquely dangerous for COVID-19 patients, this study offers a potential solution,” said Jason Sherzer, a fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. I told Science. “Older smokers have shown lower levels of ACE2 than current smokers,” Schelzer says. “Stopping smoking may be beneficial in reducing COVID-19 susceptibility.”

according to New York Times Reportedly, pulmonologists suggest that combining two common methods (nicotine patches and either nicotine gum or lozenges) increases the chances of successful smoking cessation.

True, smoking cessation is currently difficult due to the stress and boredom of duty at the shelter. However, if you are a smoker, the idea that your habits are bad for your health is not surprising. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 7 in 10 smokers reported quitting in 2015. Interfering is a serious nicotine addiction. Still, it shows that many others can overcome it. “About half of all smokers who refuse to quit smoking will eventually die of smoking-related illnesses,” according to the Smoking Cessation Association. If you are currently smoking, the COVID-19 threat should be well motivated to stop. Still, I know that many people will not quit, even after reading that it is a death sentence. What are such thoughts (or not)?

Gretchen Chapman and George Lowenstein, professors of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, are scholars studying health-related behavioral changes. They recently wrote a conversational analysis of how people are particularly poor at taking protective measures in the face of urgent needs.

“This is true unless the change in probability provides certainty that the event will not occur,” they write. Research by psychologists shows, “People do not work diligently in preventive behavior unless they eliminate the risk altogether. This is probably related to poor adherence to life-saving medications.” As an example, they cite a study that showed that nearly one-half of patients prescribed a statin a year after being hospitalized for a heart attack stopped taking it. Studies also show that the proportion of medication adherence in patients with acute diabetes is similar.

In a broader sense, the current prescribed behavior of keeping your hands washed and 6 feet away from others seems to be less difficult for individuals to adopt and maintain. Not so, says Chapman and Lowenstein. “The problem is that people cannot“ see ”the benefits of their actions,” they explain.

It is surprising that efforts to promote hygiene have been as successful as ever, given that such measures are “embodiments” of the kind of protective measures people are particularly uncomfortable to take. is. They are inconvenient and should always be vigilant. “The cost of these actions is immediate, but the benefits are delayed,” they explain. Therefore, the questions raised are: “Can I stay vigilant in the face of widespread intangibility?”

I hope we finish that task. The longer these actions last, the more likely you are to become habitual. Wouldn’t it be great for all of us to take away from this experience the new habits of keeping our immune system healthy in the next new world?

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