9 conditions most patients don't associate with smoking
But those who have never smoked are more aware
14th August 2018
A survey of more than 1800 Australians aged 18-69 shows widespread ignorance about the impact of smoking on the risk of developing specific diseases.
Participants were asked how likely it was that smoking would increase their risk of 23 medical conditions or illnesses.
They found that people who had never smoked tended to be more aware of the risks than current smokers.
More than half of the respondents were unaware that smoking was likely or very likely to increase the risk of:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (73% of people unaware)
- Acute leukaemia (69%)
- Ectopic pregnancy (64%)
- Diabetes (60%)
- Bladder cancer (58%)
- Blindness (56%)
- Erectile dysfunction (55%)
- Peptic ulcer (52%)
- Kidney cancer (52%)
