Does smoking affect our genes?
It is estimated that approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide use tobacco products, and the most preferred product among them is cigarettes (82%). However, it is widely accepted today that smoking poses a significant health risk. Smoking causes more than 5 million deaths per year and is considered the leading cause of preventable premature death worldwide.
Exposure to cigarette smoke carries a risk of many diseases, including many types of cancer, atherosclerosis and heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. It is known that smoking has a major impact on human health and negatively affects almost every organ.
How does smoking affect our genes?
We inherit our genes from our parents. Later in life, there can be epigenetic changes in DNA that affect the activity of genes. Such changes normally occur due to ageing, but they can also be affected by environmental factors and lifestyle, such as smoking!
Besingi and colleagues found in their study that there were changes in many genes in smokers. Interestingly, they reported that the epigenetic changes seen were not caused by the substances in tobacco, but by hundreds of different elements formed when tobacco is burned. It has been previously known that smokers have a higher risk of developing diabetes and many types of cancer and that there is a decrease in immune defence and sperm quality. The results obtained from the study showed that genes that increase the risk of cancer and diabetes and are important for immune response and sperm quality are affected by smoking.
Another study investigating the effect of smoking on genes was conducted by Charesworth and colleagues. The researchers analyzed the genome-wide transcription profiles of 1,240 participants, including 297 smokers. The findings from the study showed that smoking affects not only some genes, but also entire gene interaction networks.
The SARS viruses that cause the recent COVID-19 pandemic affect the respiratory tract and cause an acute respiratory response through the cell entry receptor ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2). In the study conducted by Cai and colleagues, they showed that smoking may be a risk factor for COVID-19 by affecting the expression of the ACE2 gene. In all data sets, they determined that pulmonary ACE2 gene expression was increased in smokers compared to non-smokers. In other words, the increased ACE2 receptors in smokers increase the potential for the SARS virus to attach to more cells and cause disease.
So, what about hookah?
Numerous studies showing the health hazards of smoking and strict regulations implemented by health authorities around the world have led smokers to seek alternative methods of tobacco consumption. At this point, hookah has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. The reasons for this include the fact that hookah tastes more pleasant, is subject to less regulation than cigarettes, and is seen as a more acceptable option in social circles. However, this “safer” perception does not actually reflect the facts.
Recent clinical and experimental studies reveal that hookah use can be as harmful as cigarettes, and in some cases even more harmful. Although the method of consumption is different, hookah smoking contains similar harmful chemicals to cigarettes. Moreover, these chemicals are usually produced in higher quantities. This situation reveals the fact that hookah smoking is not only an enjoyable social activity but also carries serious health risks. Hookah tobacco consumption directly contributes to the basic mechanisms of various chronic diseases such as oxidative stress and inflammation.
Smoking is a social problem
The devastating effects of tobacco products such as cigarettes and hookah on the health of individuals reveal that these habits should be addressed not only as an individual but also as a social problem. Many factors, from the epigenetic changes caused by cigarette smoke at the genetic level to the effects that weaken the immune system and increase disease risks, show how extensive the harms of these habits on health are.
Increasing individuals’ awareness of tobacco products is of critical importance in terms of protecting public health. Therefore, awareness-raising activities on tobacco use, tightening regulatory policies, and educating individuals about the harmful effects of these products are of vital importance. Every segment of society has responsibilities in the fight against tobacco, and sharing these responsibilities is a necessity for future generations to live healthier lives.
References
Besingi, W., Åsa J. (2013). Smoke-related DNA methylation changes in the etiology of human disease. Human Molecular Genetics 23.9 : 2290–2297.
Charlesworth, J. C., Curran, J. E., Johnson, M. P., Göring, H. H., Dyer, T. D., Diego, V. P., … & Blangero, J. (2010). Transcriptomic epidemiology of smoking: the effect of smoking on gene expression in lymphocytes. BMC Medical Genomics, 3, 1–11.
Cai, G., Bossé, Y., Xiao, F., Kheradmand, F., & Amos, C. I. (2020). Tobacco smoking increases the lung gene expression of ACE2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 201(12), 1557–1559.
Badran, M., & Laher, I. (2020). Waterpipe (shisha, hookah) smoking, oxidative stress and hidden disease potential. Redox Biology, 34, 101455.