New Study Says Smoking Linked to Increased Barrett’s Esophagus Risk

Posted by admin

May 15, 2009

: Image via Wikipedia

Recently in Australia, there is a new study conducted on current and former smokers which indicate that there is an increased risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus.

Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which cells in the lining of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food and saliva from the mouth to the stomach, are damaged from long-term exposure to stomach acid that has backed up into the esophagus. Individuals with Barrett’s esophagus are at an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

==> The Connection Between Acid Reflux and Smoking

The findings from this study appear to contradict those from a US study. In that study, it was found that in most people, smoking didn’t increase the risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus.

To investigate whether smoking and body mass index are potential risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus, Dr Kylie Smith, from Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, and team studied data on 393 patients who had been newly diagnosed with the condition and 957 participants without the disease. All the patients were interviewed, and completed questionnaires on age, smoking history, body mass index, the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and other factors.

The analysis revealed that, overall, former smokers had a 2.39-fold increased risk of Barrett’s esophagus and current smokers had a 2.41-fold increased risk of the condition, compared with participants who had never smoked. The team also noted that a patient’s body mass index was not associated with their risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus.

Dr Smith and his team concluded: “Current and past smoking significantly increases risk for Barrett’s oesophagus but body mass index does not, after adjustment for the effect of reflux.”

The research is published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.