Table 1.
Health Effects of Light and Intermittent Smoking
| Disease | Level of Smoking | Risk for Light smokers vs. Nonsmokers | Study Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Disease | |||
| Ischemic Heart Disease (28) | 1–4 cig/day | RR: 2.74 (2.07–3.61) men RR 2.94 (1.75–4.95) women |
Prospective Cohort |
| Aortic Aneurysm (30) | < 10 cig/ day | RR: 2.29 | Prospective Cohort |
| Cardiovascular Mortality (31) |
Occasional smoking | RR: 1.5 in men (1.0–2.3) | Prospective Cohort |
| Malignancy | |||
| Esophageal Cancer (32) | 1–14 cig/day | RR: 4.25 | Prospective Cohort |
| Lung Cancer (28) | 1–4 cig/day | RR: 2.79 (0.94–8.28) in men RR 5.03 (1.81 to 13.98) in women |
Prospective Cohort |
| Gastric Cancer (33) | 1–4 cig/day | RR: 2.4 (1.3 – 4.3) | Case-Control |
| Pancreatic Cancer (34) | < 10 cig/ day | RR: 1.8 (1.4 – 2.5) | Prospective Cohort |
| Respiratory Diseases | |||
| Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (35) |
Light Smoking (< 1 pack/ day) |
RR: 1.5 in men; RR: 1.13 in women | Prospective Cohort |
| Prolonged Duration of Respiratory Symptoms: Cough (35) |
< 1 pack/day | Duration of respiratory symptoms (cough) was 7.7 days in the light smoking group vs. 6.8 days in never smokers |
Prospective Cohort |
| Reproductive Health | |||
| Impaired Fecundity in Women (Delayed time to Conception) (36) |
1–4 cig/day | Increasing OR of delayed conception from 1.1 for 6 month delay to 3.2 at 18 month delay |
Prospective Cohort |
| Spermatozoa Function (36) | 4 cig/day over 5 years |
Spermatozoa showed decreased density/motility | Prospective Cohort |
| Placenta Previa (37) | Light smokers: < 1 pack/ day |
OR: 2.2 (0.87 – 7.83) | Case Control |
| Ectopic Pregnancy (38) | < 10 cig/day | OR: 1.4 (0.8 – 2.5) | Case Control |
| Other Conditions | |||
| Ankle Fractures in Women (39) |
1–10 cig/day | OR: 3.0 (1.9 – 4.6) | Retrospective |
| Cataracts/ Development of Nuclear Lens Opacities (40) |
Light smoking (< 10 cig/ day) |
OR: 1.68 (1.14 – 2.49) | Prospective Cohort |
| Physical Disability after Meniscal Tear (41) |
Light smoking (< 1 pack/day) |
RH: 1.44 (1.07–1.94) | Prospective Cohort |
| All Cause Mortality | |||
| Risk of all cause mortality in men (31) |
Occasional Smoking | OR: 1.6 ( 1.3–2.1) | Prospective Cohort |