50 years ago, tobacco consumption with lung cancer was associated.Now in its latest report, which was published on Friday, January 17, the United States Department of Public Health, expanded the list of ailments caused by smoking.
The document indicates that smoking has a cause relationship with liver cancer, colon, type 2 diabetes, macular degeneration associated with age, erectile dysfunction and rheumatoid arthritis.
According to the report, smoking also causes inflammation, loss of vision, harms the immune system and increases the risk of dying of tuberculosis and having an extrauterine pregnancy.
Although these diseases had already been related to smoking, the United States government report indicates, for the first time, as the cause of these ailments or that would not have appeared if the patient had not smoked.
In 1990, the bladder cancer had been added to the list and in 2004 the cervical cancer.
The document also explains that there are no conclusive evidence to ensure that tobacco causes prostate or breast cancer, but in the latter case the evidence is "suggestive but not definitive."
Another point that stands out is that by changes in the design and composition of cigarettes, the people who smoke today have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, than smokers 50 years ago.
However, policies to fight tobacco have avoided about eight million deaths in the nation in the last fifty years, while spending life expectancy, according to a report published last week by the Journal of the American MedicalAssociation.
Therefore, in its latest report, the highest US authority calls for intensifying political and health action to fight smoking.(With information from Elmundo)