Toenails and Junk Science, ...... or what?

Toenails may hold clue to lung cancer risk

The results show men with high levels of nicotine in their toenails were about 3.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those with lower levels of nicotine, regardless of their smoking histories.

The findings suggest the detrimental effects of smoking may be underestimated in studies that use only self-reported smoking history to assess lung cancer risk, the researchers said.

The study involved men who had answered a health questionnaire in 1986, and were followed up every two years. In 1987, 33,737 men provided toenail clippings.

Of these, 210 men developed lung cancer between 1988 and 2000. The researchers compared the toenail clippings of this group to those 630 men who did not develop lung cancer.

In fact, the researchers found more than 10 percent of men who had the highest levels of nicotine in their toenail clippings had never smoked.

The researchers noted that nicotine is not a carcinogen, but the findings are based on the assumption that higher levels of nicotine correspond to higher levels of exposure to carcinogens in tobacco.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41911462/ns/health-cancer/

LONDON — Scientists have found 13 new gene variants that increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, the world's number one killer, in a series of large-scale international genetic studies.

The discovery of 13 previously unknown gene variations and the confirmation of around 10 more should offer clues about how heart ailments such as coronary artery disease develop, and lead to new and more effective treatments, the researchers said.

Lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, unhealthy eating and a lack of physical exercise are known to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but scientists also have been examining DNA maps to find genes that may also put people at higher cardiovascular risk.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41937699/ns/health-heart_health/