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MyHealthNewsDaily
Women tend to find it harder to quit smoking than men, and a new study suggests why — women's brains respond differently to nicotine, the researchers say.
When a person smokes, the number of nicotine receptors in the brain — which bind to nicotine and reinforce the habit of smoking — are thought to increase in number.
The study found in men, this is true — male smokers had a greater number of nicotine receptors compared to male nonsmokers. But surprisingly, women smokers had about the same number of nicotine receptors as nonsmokers.
"When you look at it by gender, you see this big difference," said study researcher Kelly Cosgrove, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine.
The findings are important because the main treatments for people who want to quit smoking are nicotine-replacement therapies, such as nicotine patches and gums. The study suggests women smokers may benefit more from other types of treatment that don't involve nicotine, including behavioral therapies, such as exercise or relaxation techniques, and non-nicotine containing medications, Cosgrove said.
Elements of smoking not related to nicotine, such as the smell and act of holding a cigarette, may play a greater role in fueling the habit of women smokers, compared with men, Cosgrove said.
Locating nicotine receptors
Cosgrove and colleagues scanned the brains of 52 men and 58 women, about half of whom were smokers. The researchers examined nicotine receptors in the brain by using a radioactive marker that binds specifically to an important group of receptors that are primarily responsible for the body's physical dependence on nicotine, Cosgrove said.
Smokers in the study had abstained from smoking for a week so that their nicotine receptors would be free to bind to the marker used for imaging.
The researchers found that male smokers had about 16 percent more nicotine receptors in an area of their brain known as the striatum, 17 percent more in the cerebellum, and 13 to 17 percent more in the cortical region, or outside layer, of the brain compared with male nonsmokers. Female smokers, on the other hand, had similar numbers of nicotine receptors in these brain regions.
Why are female brains different?
Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in N.Y., agreed more attention should be paid to non-nicotine related smoking therapies.
"You can replace all the nicotine you want, and people might still want to smoke," Horovitz said. For instance, smoking is a big stress reliever for some people. Even the act of deep breathing is a part of the habit, and breathing exercises may help smokers because they mimic puffing a cigarette, Horovitz said.
The reason for the sex difference seen in the study is not known, but it may have something to do with levels of the hormone progesterone. Levels of this hormone fluctuate in females depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle, and are much higher after ovulation. The study found higher levels of progesterone were associated with a lower number of available nicotine receptors, the researchers said, suggesting progesterone may indirectly block these receptors.
The study is published in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
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All I know is that my husband use to complain about the cost of cigarettes constantly and whine about how we "have to quit". I became pregnant (21 years ago) and quit cold turkey and haven't touched one since. My husband however just can't seem to quit, and I find him sneaking them all of the time. I don't think it is a male/female thing, it's willpower and how much you really want to quit in the end.
There are well-established differences in receptor numbers and types between men and women. I had not heard of this particular difference, but there are very well studied differences in the pain processing systems.
And while it is true that it is possible for someone to quit smoking cold turkey, that was not the point of the article. It does not say that women are not able to quit, it says that it is more difficult for women.
Hey all whatsup.. Im really excited today its been almost 9 months since I last smoke a cigarette :D!! yay for me ...
I have been through alot of crap and have been smoking for 11 years. I have been scammed a little too many times by different products and patches and what not. Nothing Works. I have finally come up with my own blog and I only suggest one product to all my friends and family. <a href="" target="_top">No longer smoking.com!</a> is where you should go if you want something that is genuine on the internet. It has worked me and for the first time I found something real on the internet which is not another rip-off, and now I am sharing it with everyone..
You had a reason to quit.
Well, since it was his baby too I think he also had a reason to quit.
Blah, blah,blah! Ive said it before and ill say it again, speaking from personal experience concerning addiction, free will trumps addiction period. I am beyond fed up with people making the case for the excuse that people are somehow magically unable to take responsibility for their decisions and thus should not be blamed for the decisions they make. Everyone has the power to CHOOSE to quit, this power is universal and equal to all.
Quitting smoking is HARD. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but I did it. If you really want to quit, you can. Period. I'm almost 7 years cigarette free!!
Agreed. Sometimes it takes a few tries to cease. You really just have to decide to stop and not smoke; it's really that easy.
Blame the nicotine ? That is laughable. Blame the user that crammed it into their own pie-holes. All chemical addictions (except babies born to addicted mothers) are self induced, self regulated, and self ceased.