Hallberg's Picture of Health: Study reveals additional smoking risks

This 15 December, 2005 photo shows packa
Cigarettes
Karen Bleier | AFP | Getty Images 2005

Smoking may be far more deadly than anyone thought, according to the conclusions of a new study published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine

The study raises the possibility that those who smoke are at risk for at least a dozen additional deadly diseases beyond the 21 currently linked to smoking.

MPR news medical commentator Dr. Jon Hallberg talks about the implications of the research. He is a physician in family medicine at the University of Minnesota. He also shares his insights and expertise on health and health care every week on All Things Considered.

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Diseases known to be caused by smoking:

• Lip and oral cavity cancer

• Esophageal cancer

• Stomach cancer

• Colorectal cancer

• Liver cancer

• Pancreatic cancer

• Laryngeal cancer

• Lung cancer

• Bladder cancer

• Kidney cancer

• Acute myeloid leukemia

• Diabetes

• Ischemic heart disease

• Other heart disease

• Stroke

• Atherosclerosis

• Aortic aneurysm

• Other arterial diseases

• Pneumonia, influenza and tuberculosis

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Newly linked diseases:

• All infections

• Breast cancer

• Prostate cancer

• Rare cancers

• Cancers of unknown site

• Hypertensive heart disease

• Essential hypertension

• All other respiratory diseases

• Liver cirrhosis

• All other digestive diseases

• Kidney failure

• Additional rare causes combined

• Unknown causes