Smoking ups sex hormones,disease risk in postmenopausal women: study

Study said smokers who had quit within 1-2 years had sex hormone levels same as 'never' smokers.

A new study has found that postmenopausal women who smoke have higher levels of sex hormones and run a higher risks of falling prey to chronic diseases than their non-smoking counterparts.

The observed increase in sex hormone levels with cigarette use suggests that tobacco smoke,apart from its direct toxic and carcinogenic effects,may also influence chronic disease risk through hormonal mechanisms, said Judith Brand,MSc,of University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands and lead author of the study.

The good news is that the effect of cigarette smoking appears reversible,as an almost immediate reduction in sex hormone levels was seen in women who quit using cigarettes, she added.

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In this study,researchers examined blood samples from 2,030 postmenopausal women aged 55-81 years,who were categorized as ‘current’,’former’ or ‘never’ smokers.

They found that the study participants who were ‘current’ smokers had higher levels of androgens and estrogens,while ‘former’ smokers who had quit within 1-2 years had sex hormone levels the same as ‘never’ smokers.

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