Smoking changes our genes
Wednesday, December 18, 2013 - 10:36
in Health & Medicine
We inherit our genes from our parents at birth. Later in life the genetic material can be changed by epigenetic modifications, i.e. chemical alterations of the DNA the affect the activity of the genes. Such alterations are normally caused by aging, but can also result from environmental factors and lifestyle. New research findings show that smoking alters several genes that can be associated with health problems for smokers, such as increased risk for cancer and diabetes.