Estrogen, a female hormone, increases the effect of pleasure response proteins in the brain.
Entered 2024.04.07 22:16 Entered 2024.04.07 22:16 Modified 2024.04.07 22:35 Views 1,308
A study found that women are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes than men. [사진=게티이미지뱅크]As the number of female smokers increases, the number of teenage women receiving treatment for smoking-related diseases is also rapidly increasing. However, research has shown that women are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes than men.
According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the female hormone estrogen makes the brain more sensitive to the nicotine in cigarettes, contributing to addiction to cigarettes. It has been shown to increase the likelihood of doing so.
Men’s bodies also have natural amounts of estrogen. However, women produce much higher levels of estrogen every 28 days, depending on the phase of their menstrual cycle.
The researchers found that estrogen increased the effects of olfactomedins, proteins important in the brain’s pleasure response to nicotine. The theory is that estrogen-activated olfactomedin causes people to crave nicotine by activating parts of the brain related to addiction and reward. In particular, it was confirmed that when estrogen surges just before ovulation, olfactomedin also increases.
“We found that women are more likely to develop nicotine addiction and have lower rates of success in quitting smoking than men,” said the researchers, who scoured huge genetic databases to identify these proteins that are influenced by estrogen and promote brain chemistry.
“By targeting these proteins and blocking their effects, we could develop drugs that help people quit smoking,” the researchers said. If estrogen induces nicotine consumption through Olfactomedin, if the pathway is changed, a drug that can block the effect can be designed.
“Copyright ⓒ ‘Honest Knowledge for Health’ Comedy.com ( / Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution, AI learning and use prohibited”
2024-04-07 13:18:05
#Women #higher #risk #smoker #men.. #women
