Smoking Causes Inflammation

It’s been known for a while that smoking decreases blood flow and hence reduces the transport of oxygen and other nutrients to tissues. But recent research by Ava Hosseinzadeh et al from the University of Umea in Sweden has looked into its effects on inflammation. Their findings were published in the Journal of Leucocyte Biology. They found that nicotine induces neutrophils to release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs surround and destroy microbial pathogens but they can also lead to excessive inflammation and tissue damage. Obviously, it’s the excessive inflammation and tissue damage that’s of concern and it provides yet another reason to stop smoking.