Tobacco Exposure During Pregnancy and Childhood: How Early Habits Accelerate Aging and Increase Disease Risk

The study published in Science Advances has shown that exposure to tobacco during pregnancy and smoking in childhood can accelerate aging and increase the risk of various diseases. Researchers from Chinese and British universities analyzed blood samples from 276,000 people in the United Kingdom Biobank, examining the impact of tobacco exposure on both chronological and biological aging.

Individuals who were exposed to tobacco in utero were older than their chronological age by 0.26 years and their biological age by 0.49 years, with shorter telomeres. Those who smoked in childhood were even older than their chronological age by 0.88 years and their biological age by 2.51 years, with significantly shorter telomeres. The study found that individuals who were exposed to tobacco in the womb and smoked in childhood showed the most accelerated biological aging, being 1.13 years older than their chronological age and 2.89 years older than their biological age.

The researchers emphasize the importance of quitting smoking early to resist aging and prevent related diseases such as lung diseases, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The study highlights that exposure to tobacco during pregnancy or early life can have long-term health effects that increase the risk of chronic diseases later in life.

Considering these findings, it is crucial for pregnant women to avoid smoking or any form of tobacco use during pregnancy as it can have severe consequences on their own health as well as on the health of their unborn babies.

Overall, this study underscores the need for individuals to be aware of the dangers of smoking at an early age and take necessary steps to quit it before it is too late.