25 May 2004
Smoking helps keep arteries open following angioplasty

I'm amazed that this got reported at all ... sometimes censorship is not just an exercise of raw governmental power, but a decision to promote ideas/thoughts/ideologies. The research was conducted in Europe - such reportage would be unthinkable if it had been here in the US. Most health institutions here are very dependent on funding from government sources, and the government here has taken a much more strident line against smoking than most European governments (with notable exceptions, of course).

"He who pays the piper calls the tune" ...

In an unusual paradox, smoking cigarettes-a deadly habit that contributes to the development of peripheral artery disease-actually helps arteries stay open following a procedure to repair clogged blood vessels in the legs, according to a study in the June issue of Radiology. The study found that habitual to heavy smokers who continued to smoke after angioplasty had a lower rate of restenosis, or re-narrowing of the arteries, than nonsmokers.

(link) [Science Blog]

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