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Health
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2006-09-21 08:01:09-04
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Smokers at three-fold increased HIV infection risk
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Washington, Sept 21: A new study suggests that smokers may be accidentally modifying their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to infection by the HIV virus. Past studies have found that cigarette smoking is linked to a higher than normal chance of contracting other infections generally, including those that have been sexually transmitted. The researchers behind the study trawled through material from academic research databases, abstract databases and material from recent international AIDS conferences to arrive at their conclusion. Out of six studies that assessed the association between cigarette smoking and becoming HIV positive, five found that smokers ran an increased risk of between 60% to up to three times more. The researchers wrote, "The consistency of the findings is striking and represents a major strength of this review. While the studies vary in quality, they include reports of high quality investigations using large sample sizes." The researchers claim that tobacco smoke may enhance vulnerability to infection by modifying the structure of the lungs and changing an array of immune system responses, including curbs on the production of antibodies and the activity of infection fighting white cells. They suggest in the study that public health measures that encourage smokers to quit could also improve the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention programmes. There are almost 40 million people in the world living with HIV/AIDS, and the global death toll of deaths related to tobacco is expected to reach 8.4 million in 2020. The research is published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.
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