This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.
This Surgeon General's report returns to the topic of the health effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. The last comprehensive review of this evidence by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was in the 1986 Surgeon General's report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking, published 20 years ago this year. This new report updates the evidence of the harmful effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. This large body of research findings is captured in an accompanying dynamic database that profiles key epidemiologic findings, and allows the evidence on health effects of exposure to tobacco smoke to be synthesized and updated (following the format of the 2004 report, The Health Consequences of Smoking). The database enables users to explore the data and studies supporting the conclusions in the report. The database is available on the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.
Millions of Americans use e-cigarettes. Despite their popularity, little is known about their health effects. Some suggest that e-cigarettes likely confer lower risk compared to combustible tobacco cigarettes, because they do not expose users to toxicants produced through combustion. Proponents of e-cigarette use also tout the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as devices that could help combustible tobacco cigarette smokers to quit and thereby reduce tobacco-related health risks. Others are concerned about the exposure to potentially toxic substances contained in e-cigarette emissions, especially in individuals who have never used tobacco products such as youth and young adults. Given their relatively recent introduction, there has been little time for a scientific body of evidence to develop on the health effects of e-cigarettes. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes reviews and critically assesses the state of the emerging evidence about e-cigarettes and health. This report makes recommendations for the improvement of this research and highlights gaps that are a priority for future research.
Significant changes have taken place in the policy landscape surrounding cannabis legalization, production, and use. During the past 20 years, 25 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis and/or cannabidiol (a component of cannabis) for medical conditions or retail sales at the state level and 4 states have legalized both the medical and recreational use of cannabis. These landmark changes in policy have impacted cannabis use patterns and perceived levels of risk. However, despite this changing landscape, evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use remains elusive. While a myriad of studies have examined cannabis use in all its various forms, often these research conclusions are not appropriately synthesized, translated for, or communicated to policy makers, health care providers, state health officials, or other stakeholders who have been charged with influencing and enacting policies, procedures, and laws related to cannabis use. Unlike other controlled substances such as alcohol or tobacco, no accepted standards for safe use or appropriate dose are available to help guide individuals as they make choices regarding the issues of if, when, where, and how to use cannabis safely and, in regard to therapeutic uses, effectively. Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives, and this lack of aggregated knowledge has broad public health implications. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids provides a comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis. This report provides a research agendaâ€"outlining gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for providing additional insight into these issuesâ€"that summarizes and prioritizes pressing research needs.
The focus of this collection of illustrated reviews is to discuss the systems biology of free radicals and anti-oxidants. Free radical induced cellular damage in a variety of tissues and organs is reviewed, with detailed discussion of molecular and cellular mechanisms. The collection is aimed at those new to the field, as well as clinicians and scientists with long standing interests in free radical biology. A feature of this collection is that the material also brings insights into various diseases where free radicals are thought to play a role. There is extensive discussion of the success and limitations of the use of antioxidants in several clinical settings.
Many physiological conditions such as host defense or aging and pathological conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes are associated with the accumulation of high levels of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. This generates a condition called oxidative stress. Low levels of reactive oxygen species, however, which are continuously produced during aerobic metabolism, function as important signaling molecules, setting the metabolic pace of cells and regulating processes ranging from gene expression to apoptosis. For this book we would like to recruit the experts in the field of redox chemistry, bioinformatics and proteomics, redox signaling and oxidative stress biology to discuss how organisms achieve the appropriate redox balance, the mechanisms that lead to oxidative stress conditions and the physiological consequences that contribute to aging and disease.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations covers the definition, diagnosis, epidemiology, mechanisms, and treatment associated with COPD exacerbations. This text also addresses imaging and how it plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and study of exacerbations.Written by today's top experts, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbat
This book is a comprehensive reference on diffuse cystic lung diseases (DCLDs). DCLDs are a group of pathophysiologically heterogenous processes that are characterized by the presence of multiple spherical or irregularly shaped, thin-walled, air-filled spaces within the pulmonary parenchyma. In recent years, tremendous advancements have been made in these diseases leading to improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and improved outcomes with targeted therapies. The authors, who are leading experts in the field, delineate DCLDs as a separate category distinct from other interstitial lung diseases, and have created this textbook specifically dedicated to this disease group. This book begins with a chapter introducing the definition and classification of DCLDs. Subsequent chapters address the pathogenic mechanisms underlying pulmonary cyst formation and provide a detailed overview of the radiological and pathological features of DCLDs. The common as well as uncommon causes of DCLDs are comprehensively reviewed in individual chapters, as are the varied clinical presentations and extrapulmonary manifestations, and approaches to management and treatment. The book culminates in a final chapter that presents a practical algorithmic approach to diagnosis that progresses from least invasive to most invasive approaches. This textbook provides a one-stop, comprehensive and integrated, clinical, radiologic, and pathologic overview of DCLDs that will be as useful to the practicing clinician as it is to the clinical investigator.
