Tobacco destroys the Y chromosome in men

Compared to their non-smoking peers, men who smoke triple their risk of losing their Y sex chromosomes, according to a new study.

In the new study published in Science, experts from Uppsala University (Sweden) discovered that the Y chromosome, which plays an important role in determining male sex and sperm production, disappears from the blood cells of men who smoke more in the blood cells of their homosexuals who have never before started this habit.

Because only men own Y chromosomes, the discovery could explain why the proportion of men who are infected and die from many cancers is higher than women. Another recent study has found a link between the loss of Y chromosome and shorter life expectancy and a higher risk of developing cancer.

Compared to non-smokers of men, smoking men tripled the risk of losing Y chromosomes in their blood cells.(Artwork: Getty Images)

"There is a correlation between a common but preventable risk factor - tobacco, with the most common mutation in humans - loss of Y chromosome. This may partly explain why, men. Overall, life is more short-lived than women and why smoking is more dangerous for men, " said Professor Jan Dumanski, a research team member.

In addition to fatal lung cancer, smoking is also a major risk factor for many other serious diseases. It is the cause of premature death due to chronic diseases (such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure), which can prevent the world's leading.

The epidemiological data revealed, smoking men face the risk of developing non-lung cancer types, such as bowel cancer, higher than women who smoke.

The team analyzed data on more than 6,000 men, taking into account age, exercise habits, cholesterol levels, education, alcohol intake and health and behavioral factors. other. They found that in smokers, the loss of Y chromosomes seems to depend on the dose. In other words, the more men smoke, the more they lose.

However, the team also found that some men who quit smoking later seemed to recover their Y chromosomes. Researcher Lars Forsberg said this could be a motivation for smokers to abandon this bad habit.

Scientists do not yet know how many Y chromosomes in blood cells are involved in developing cancer, although the possibility exists that the immune cells in the blood will lose their chromosome impaired ability to fight cancer cells. They claim more research is needed to solve this mystery.

Reference: Daily Mail.