Experts from the University of Aberdeen found men born to women that smoked during their pregnancy were more likely to die younger if they also adopted the habit.
The team of researchers analysed data from 500,000 people around the UK to assess genetic links and they discovered that the sons of mothers who smoked while pregnant experience more long-lasting side-effects than their daughters.
During the study, which was led by Professor Paul Fowler, the team said they could see sons were more likely to be affected as a result of changes in levels of various genes in male foetal livers, as early as 17 weeks.
What’s more, experts went on to find that if these sons went on to pick up smoking themselves, they would have a shorter life expectancy. However, the authors said that if the adult man stopped smoking, or simply didn’t smoke at all, they could counter any risks.
‘We hope our findings will pave the way towards investigation the molecular effects of maternal smoking which will allow the scientific community to uncover the specific mechanisms by which the trait modifies or initiates specific diseases,’ Professor Fowler, Chair in Translational Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen said. ‘Ultimately, we also hope it helps the medical community to develop even better counselling strategies and campaigns towards smoking cessation.’
Felix Grassman, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Health and Medical University in Germany, and co-leader of the research added: ‘Most research has been conducted in cohorts with too few individuals thus lacking statistical power to uncover the rarer associations.
‘In this research, we used genetic, biochemistry and questionnaire data on more than 500,000 individuals making it one of the biggest studies reported on the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy.’
The research has been welcomed for a number of reasons. The Action on Smoking (ASH) charity said it outlines the ‘importance of supporting every woman to have a smoke-free pregnancy’ and the news comes as the Government is looking to create a smoke-free generation.
Photo by Lê Tit via UnSplash
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