14 DAY TRIAL // Smoking has been shown to up the risk of cancer and cardiovascular trouble. There's even evidence that it speeds up aging. Bottom line, it's definitely not the best habit to have and stick to for years, not when the side effects include disease and, consequently, reduced lifespan.
All the same, it appears that smoking is not a sure death sentence. True, the majority of smokers die young, but oddly enough, some live to extreme ages, researchers write in a recent study in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences.
It all comes down to genetics
Having compared the genetic profile of so-called long-lived smokers to that of nonsmokers, the research team zoomed in on a set of genetic markers that might explain why smoking is not always a death sentence.
These genetic particularities appear to make a long-lived smoker's body better at repairing damage to cells and tissues. In doing so, they mitigate the effects of smoking and prolong lifespan.
Basically, it appears that smokers who get to enjoy a long life only survive their habit because their body is quite gifted at repairing the damage caused by harmful compounds found in cigarette smoke.
“We identified a set of genetic markers that together seem to promote longevity. There is evidence that these genes may facilitate lifespan extension by increasing cellular maintenance and repair.”
“Therefore, even though some individuals are exposed to high levels of biological stressors, like those found in cigarette smoke, their bodies may be better set up to cope with and repair the damage,” said researcher Morgan E. Levine, as cited by Science Daily.
The implications of this study
Apart from explaining why some smokers live considerably longer than expected of them, this research project suggests that, rather than depend solely on environmental factors, longevity is also determined by an individual's genetic profile.
What's more, specialist Morgan E. Levine and colleagues argue that, if it is indeed true that long-lived smokers share specific biological mechanisms that keep them safe from cancer and other health trouble usually associated with this habit, perhaps these mechanisms could be replicated to offer protection to others who weren't born with a body perfectly capable of repairing itself.