Health, Smoking | featured news

Cigarette smoke causes immediate damage to the lungs and to DNA, and President Barack Obama's administration will make stop-smoking efforts a priority, federal health officials said on Thursday.

The federal government unveiled new proposed regulations Wednesday mandating "bolder health warnings" on cigarette advertisements and packages, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Advanced CT imaging can reduce deaths from lung cancer by 20% among heavy smokers, according to long-awaited results from the first comparison of CT scanning and regular chest X-rays, researchers said Thursday.

Short people have a 50 percent higher risk of having a heart problem or dying from one, when compared to tall people, a new study says, though weight, blood pressure and smoking habits remain more important factors.