Smokersý Lungs Similar to that of Cystic Fibrosis

A new study has revealed that smokersý lungs undergo a similar reaction to smoking as do the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, which is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs as well as other organs.

Researchers working on the study discovered that like cystic fibrosis, smoking can lead to the production of sticky mucus that causes a dry cough and sometime infections. Because the effects of smoking and cystic fibrosis are similar, researchers are investigating the theory that cystic fibrosis treatments could possibly be used to treat smoking related diseases, and vice versa.

Cystic Fibrosis can interfere with the movement of water and salt in the lining of the lungs. Because of this, bacteria can become trapped in an area of thick mucus, and this can result in potentially fatal infections. According to the team who worked on the study, smoking has a similar effect, as it also produces thick mucus that can cause dry cough, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Robert Tarran, who is a researcher at the Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center at the University of North Carolina, said, ýWe hope this study will highlight the important of airway hydration in terms of lung health and that it will help provide a road map for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of smoking-related lung disease.ý

The study was published on October 17 in FASEB Journal. Other findings included the discovery that cigarette smoke reduced the amount of liquid covering lung cells, an effect that lasted over two hours after exposure. They also discovered that lung cells exposed to cigarette smoke could be treated with hypertonic saline, usually used in patients with Cystic Fibrosis, and that the amount of liquid covering them would restore to more normal levels.

The researchers on the study concluded that people with Cystic Fibrosis and smokers could equally benefit from certain treatments, but ultimately, the best idea for smokers to maintain their lung health and overall well-being would be to quit smoking immediately.

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