Tobacco Documents Online

0 (SMOKING GETS REPRIEVR ON CORONARIES 14- Month Study Of Twins Shows No Probable Link ' New York, March 13 U0- From a study of twins, two Swedish researchers conclude that cigarette smoking is "pro- bably not associated with coro- nary heart disease." Constitutional or genetic di~ ferences between smokers and nonsmokers might account for excess illness and deaths from heart disease reported among smokers, they say. Drs. Torbjorn Lundman and Itolf Blomftrand of the Karolin- ska Institute and Swedish Na- tional Institutes of Public Health, Stockholm, describe their findings in the publication Acta Medica Scandinavia.. They made a 14-month study of 196 pairs of twins, of' whom 92 pairs were identical or Iook- alike twins with identical inheri~ tance, and 104 pairs fraternal twins differing from each other genetically. One twin In each pair , By. ALTON- BLAI{ESLEE Associoted Press Writer From a study of twins, two Swedish researchers con• clude that ci;arct smoking; is "probably not associatedd tcith cornonary heart diseasc " Constitutional or genetic dif- a t increase in res• ifi i ferences between smokers and nonsmokers might account for excess •sllness and deaths from heart disease reported among smokers, they say. Drs. Torbjorn Lundman and Rolf Blomftrand of the Kara- linska Institute and Swedis•h I~Ta- tional Institutes of P u b l i c H e a 1 t h, Stockholm, describe their findings in the publication Acta Medica Scandinavia. They made a 14-month study of 196 pairs of twins, of whom 92 pairs were identical or look- alike twins w-i~th identical inhcri- tance, and 101 pairs fraternal twins differiflg from each other aeneticaliy. One twin in each pair smoked, the other did not. They ranged in age from 38 to 77 years. While the number studied vras small, they said they found no rxcc-ss morbidity or illness from overt or cbvi~us coronary dis- ease in smokers versus non- smokers, or in "silent" coronary disease diagnosed by changes in electr~cardioorams after exer- cise tests. The electrical chanees were a main criG~rion In the study. can gn to a s I piratory systew of chrcnic bronchitis and an Increase In airway resistance. ?-: Other studies bave pointed to an hereditary influence in sus• reptibility to heart attacks and ~coronary disease. Numerous prospective studies -keeping tabs on large num- bers of persons for years . to compare smokine or - other habits and the. occurrence of heart disease-have implicated cigaret smoking as an impor• tant factor in the risk of heart ' disease as well as of cancer of the lun;. The 1964 report'of an advisory committee to the U. S. Surgeon- ;,t r General said civaret smokers r smoked, the other did not. They raitged in age from 38 to 77. Main Criticism Io Study While the number studied was small, they said they found nol er fatty materials in the blood were found, on average, to be lower for the nonsmoking identi- cal twins, but these differences iwere said not to be statistically significant. High levels of Echolesterol and other lipoids are [excess morbidity or illness from overt or obvious coronary disease in smokers versus non- smokers, or in "silent" coronary disease diagnosed by changes in electrocardiograms after exer- cise tests. The electrical changes were a main criterion in the study. They were taken as. evidence that a person had silent or nonobvious 'coronary heart disease. Levels of cholesterol and oth 'generally implicated as increas- ;:~ iing the risk of coronary heart Y _ disease. = Cigarette smoking also "most y,probably does not result" z in -persistent high blood pressure, 4 ~ Dri. Lundmaa and Blomftrand d..~ THE SUN, BALTIMORE, TUESn AY MORNING, DIAIl;C~i 14, 1967 ~36~2R~fi had a death rate of 70 per cent _'''' higher than nonsmokers, with "_ disease of the heart and blood y: vessels accounting for the ma-• jority of such premature deaths. Thev wera taken as evidence ihai a person had silent or ncn- ohvious coronary heart disease. Levels of cholesterol and other • fatt}° materials in the blood were found, cm avera.-e, to be lower for the nonsmoking iden• tical twins, but these differences •rere said not to be statistically significant. High levels of choles- terol and cther lipoids are gen- erally imFlicated' as increasing the risk of coronary disease. Ci-aret smokin- also "mast probablyy does not result"' in per- sistent high blood pressure Drs , Lundman and Blomftrand said. l ded h ~ ~ st udy conc u at t ---"Their - ~4 _ cigaret smoking does give rise =4 ~~ . . ,:,. ~ .~,