Health
Want to stop smoking for good? CDC launches new campaign with free resources to quit
The CDC is not taking any more butts when it comes to smoking.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the 2024 version of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people quit smoking — with a special aim at menthol cigarettes.
“The CDC’s Tips campaign is designed to increase smoking cessation awareness and intervention in populations with high smoking rates and poorer health outcomes, including those living with mental illness,” Dr. Lama Bazzi, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
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“[The program] relies on testimonials given by people from the target communities, making the content relatable and increasing the utilization of the free resources the campaign makes available,” added Bazzi, who is not associated with the CDC.
The CDC’s campaign, which first launched in 2012, features stories and tips from former smokers who kicked a really bad habit.
The CDC has launched the 2024 version of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people quit smoking. (iStock)
The dangers of smoking
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S., the CDC noted in a recent press release.
“Addictive drugs alter mood and are often compulsively taken despite the illness they cause,” Lori Karan, M.D., professor of internal medicine and preventive medicine at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, told Fox News Digital.
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“Nicotine is psychoactive in that it can be stimulating, relaxing, pleasurable and helpful [in reducing] stress and anxiety — especially when it counteracts its own withdrawal,” added Karan, who is a national expert in addiction medicine.
It is not nicotine but rather the chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer, heart disease and lung disease, she said.
The CDC’s campaign, which originated in 2012, features stories and tips from former smokers who kicked the habit. (iStock)
Menthol cigarettes carry a higher health risk than regular cigarettes, according to the CDC.
Menthol is a chemical found naturally in plants, like peppermint — but it can also be produced in a lab.
Almost all cigarettes sold in the U.S. contain some degree of menthol, but cigarettes specifically marketed as “menthol” usually have more of the chemical in them.
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“Menthol is an anesthetic,” Karan said. “The cooling sensation makes it easier to inhale more deeply.”
Due to the way menthol interacts with and enhances nicotine, people who use menthol cigarettes are more likely to accumulate toxins in the furthest part of their lungs, the doctor warned.
Menthol smokers are also more likely to continue smoking, she said, which puts them at a greater risk of developing tobacco-related diseases.
Menthol smokers are more likely to continue smoking, an expert said, which puts them at a greater risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
It can be more difficult for people who smoke menthol cigarettes to quit successfully compared to people who smoke non-menthol cigarettes, the CDC noted in the press release.
In 2021, sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes reached 37% of all cigarette sales in the U.S. — the highest share recorded since 1963, according to the CDC website.
Real stories of former smokers
In the new batch of stories, the CDC is highlighting Ethan B., 59, who started smoking cigarettes at age 10 and later started smoking menthol cigarettes when he joined the Army at age 18.
“I wanted to look cool and be cool,” he told the CDC. “All the billboards said it was cool.”
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S.
Since quitting in 2020, Ethan B. said he has come to realize that the tobacco ads that appealed to him while he was growing up were misleading. (The CDC did not share the participants’ last names.)
The CDC also featured Elizabeth B., 62, who started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 18.
She was later diagnosed with smoking-related peripheral artery disease (PAD).
It often takes several attempts and the right combination of medication, nicotine replacement therapy and counseling to permanently succeed at quitting, an expert said. (iStock)
(PAD is when the arteries that supply blood flow to the legs get blocked, so people have difficulty walking without pain or cramping.)
“If I had never smoked that first cigarette, I may not have lit the fuse for PAD,” she told the CDC. “My goal is to help other young people to never start smoking.”
Tips to kick the habit
The CDC recommends developing a personal plan to quit. The first step is to choose a quit date.
By the time the date arrives, make sure all cigarettes — including lighters, matches and ashtrays — are removed from the home, car and work areas, the agency says.
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It’s also important to be aware of common triggers that will tempt people to light up a cigarette.
“During the first few weeks of quitting, try to avoid situations where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available,” the CDC advises on its website.
This may require that people avoid friends or co-workers when they smoke.
People should also find ways to distract themselves when they get the urge to light up.
It’s important to be aware of common triggers that will tempt you to light up a cigarette, the CDC said. (iStock)
The agency recommends making a list of activities that might work for you — in lieu of smoking — before quitting.
Some examples might be listening to your favorite music, going for a walk, playing a video game or simply watching a video on your phone that makes you laugh.
When you do get the urge to light a cigarette, one idea is to find a substitute, like toothpicks, straws or cinnamon sticks, that will keep your mouth and hands busy.
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Quitting is not easy and there will be times when people will have a craving for a cigarette, the agency noted.
The urge will disappear within minutes for most individuals and will grow weaker over time, the CDC says.
Medications to help people quit
For some, medications can be helpful in reducing the compulsion to smoke.
“Individuals trying to quit should speak to their health care provider about medications that can help them quit,” Bazzi said. “Do not give up.”
It often takes several attempts and the right combination of medication, nicotine replacement therapy and counseling to succeed permanently at quitting, she said.
The CDC recommends making a list of activities that might work for you, in lieu of smoking, such as going for a refreshing walk outside. (iStock)
One example is John B., 61, one of the CDC’s featured quitters. He smoked his first cigarette at age 8.
He tried different ways of quitting, including acupuncture, hypnosis and going “cold turkey” — but could never go one full day without smoking.
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Then he found a doctor who could relate to his struggles. The physician had quit smoking himself.
The doctor prescribed two smoking cessation medicines, including a nicotine inhaler, and recommended counseling.
At age 38, John B. was finally able to quit for good.
“Individuals trying to quit should speak to their health care provider about medications that can help them quit,” a doctor said. (iStock)
A combination of medicines is often most effective, according to the CDC.
The most common combination is wearing a nicotine patch, which delivers a steady level of nicotine to the body, along with either the nicotine lozenge or gum for fast-acting relief during cravings.
People can also call the free hotline 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak confidentially with a quit coach without any judgment.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for additional comment on the Tips campaign.
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Health
'Vaccine fatigue' blamed as roughly half of people in US will skip COVID and flu shots this year
A growing number of U.S. adults are hesitant to get recommended vaccines this fall, a new survey found.
The poll, which included 1,006 people, found that only 43% of respondents have gotten or plan to get the COVID vaccine.
Only a slight majority (56%) of adults said they have gotten or plan to get the flu shot this fall.
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The poll also found that 37% of those who have gotten vaccines in past years plan to skip the shots this season.
A growing number of U.S. adults are hesitant to get recommended vaccines this fall, a new survey found. (iStock)
Around one-third of respondents also said they don’t believe they need the vaccines mentioned in the survey — flu, COVID, RSV or pneumococcal pneumonia.
Vaccine hesitancy tends to skew younger, as adults aged 65 and older are the most likely to get the recommended immunizations.
The nationwide survey was conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in mid-August 2024.
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These findings come just weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for the 2024-2025 season.
“We’re at the start of respiratory virus season, when you have the triple threat of flu, COVID-19 and RSV,” said Nora Colburn, MD, medical director of clinical epidemiology at Ohio State’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, in a press release.
Around one-third of respondents also said they don’t believe they need the vaccines mentioned in the survey — flu, COVID, RSV or pneumococcal pneumonia. (iStock)
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about vaccinations, but the reality is that they are safe and highly effective in preventing serious illness and death,” she went on.
“Older adults, people with certain chronic medical conditions, and those who are pregnant are especially at risk during respiratory virus season.”
‘Vaccine fatigue’
Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reacted to the poll’s findings.
“It’s obviously not surprising that 37% of people said they had been vaccinated in the past but weren’t planning to this year,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“We just had a vaccine mandate a couple of years ago, and furthermore, childhood vaccines are very broadly administered, so those 37% are people who wouldn’t be getting a vaccine normally anyway.”
The reported rate of 56% for the flu shot is a little above average, Glanville said, as it tends to hover at around 50%.
“Coronavirus vaccination rates are a little lower than for the flu,” he noted.
Adults aged 65 and older are the most likely to get the recommended immunizations. (iStock)
This could be due to lack of clarity with the public over how COVID should be treated post-pandemic, according to Glanville.
“It’s also fatigue due to the COVID vaccines not being particularly effective at preventing symptoms, which causes people to believe that they are not effective (although they do protect against severe illness),” he added.
‘Concerning’ trend
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, said he finds the poll’s findings concerning.
“Both vaccines wane over six months, so a yearly booster makes sense for high-risk groups,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I recommend a yearly booster for the elderly, immunocompromised and those with chronic illness.”
Siegel estimates that this year’s flu season will be similar to last year’s, which was “moderate,” with 25,000 deaths and 400,000 hospitalizations.
“The flu shot decreases severity and number of hospitalizations by about a quarter, and helps to provide community immunity,” he added.
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For COVID, Siegel warned that the virus’ activity is still fairly high — “especially in the western U.S.”
The doctor also warned of a new variant circulating in Europe, which he expects will soon be in the U.S., known as the XEC subvariant.
Everyone 6 months and older is advised to get vaccinated against influenza, according to the CDC. (iStock)
“It seems to be more contagious — it causes congestion, cough, loss of smell and appetite, sore throat and body aches,” he told Fox News Digital.
“The new vaccine should provide at least some coverage.”
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told Siegel that very young children are being hospitalized at a greater rate — “likely because they haven’t been vaccinated with the primary series.”
“I recommend a yearly booster for the elderly, immunocompromised and those with chronic illness, along with anyone who is at risk for long COVID or has had it previously,” Siegel said.
The CDC’s vaccine recommendations
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued the following vaccine recommendations.
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Flu: Everyone 6 months and older is advised to get vaccinated against influenza.
COVID-19: The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
The latest version of the COVID vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. (iStock)
RSV: The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is recommended for everyone aged 75 and older, as well as those aged 60 to 74 who have certain chronic medical conditions, such as lung or heart disease, or who live in nursing homes, as they are at a higher risk of severe disease. Pregnant women are also advised to get the vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy.
Pneumococcal: Everyone younger than 5 years and age 65 and older is advised to get the pneumococcal vaccine, along with those who are at increased risk of severe disease.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the OSU research team for comment.
Health
Alzheimer’s disease could be slowed by boosting a certain protein in the brain, researchers say
Boosting a specific protein in the brain could help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found.
The longstanding theory is that Alzheimer’s occurs when a protein called amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) transforms into plaques that build up in the brain, causing damage to neural cells and leading to cognitive decline.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati have challenged that assumption, instead suggesting that the disease is caused by low levels of healthy, functioning Aβ42, according to a UC press release.
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They based this hypothesis on the fact that newly approved monoclonal antibody medications — including lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) — have had the unintended outcome of raising levels of the protein in the brain.
Boosting a specific protein in the brain could help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. (iStock)
“The new Alzheimer’s treatments, which were designed to remove amyloid plaques, unintentionally raised Aβ42 levels, and this may explain their positive effects on cognition as much as — or better than — amyloid reduction,” lead study author Alberto J. Espay, MD, professor of neurology at the Gardner Family Center for Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders at UC, told Fox News Digital via email.
“Higher Aβ42 levels after treatment were associated with slower cognitive decline, suggesting that restoring this protein to normal levels might be more beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients than removing amyloid.”
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In the study, the researchers reviewed data from nearly 26,000 Alzheimer’s patients who participated in 24 randomized clinical trials for the newly approved antibody treatments.
They compared the cognitive abilities of patients before and after taking the new medications, and found that the increased amounts of Aβ42 were linked to “slower cognitive impairment and clinical decline.”
The findings were published in the medical journal Brain on Sept. 11.
Understanding amyloid
Amyloid plaques aren’t necessarily a bad thing, according to the researchers.
“Along with other studies, the collective evidence suggests that amyloid plaques are a response of a normally reactive brain to many stressors, some infectious, some toxic, some biological,” Espay told Fox News Digital.
The longstanding theory is that Alzheimer’s occurs when a protein called amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) transforms into plaques that build up in the brain, causing damage to neural cells and leading to cognitive decline. (iStock)
“They are a sign the brain is dealing with a stressor appropriately.”
The researcher referred to amyloid plaques as “the tombstones of Aβ42,” noting that they can’t do anything harmful to the brain.
“Most researchers do not believe Alzheimer’s is driven by only one biological mechanism.”
“Amyloid plaques don’t cause Alzheimer’s, but if the brain makes too much of them while defending against infections, toxins or biological changes, it can’t produce enough Aβ42, causing its levels to drop below a critical threshold,” he said.
“That’s when dementia symptoms emerge.”
The study questions the long-entrenched idea that amyloid plaques directly cause Alzheimer’s and that removing them is part of the solution.
“Beta amyloid is certainly an important and key player, but we also know that tau protein, the immune system, vascular system, metabolic health, environment and more all play a role in the disease process,” an Alzheimer’s expert said. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
“Building the levels of Aβ42 without removing amyloid — which is quite futile, and can be harmful — is worth testing as a future therapy,” Espay added.
Looking ahead, the UC research team plans to investigate therapies that directly increase Aβ42 levels without targeting amyloid.
‘A very complex disease’
Ozama Ismail, PhD, director of scientific programs at the Alzheimer’s Association in Washington, D.C., was not involved in UC’s study, but commented on the findings.
“While this Aβ42-related hypothesis may turn out to be a part of what causes and encourages progression of Alzheimer’s, it is a very complex disease, and most researchers do not believe Alzheimer’s is driven by only one biological mechanism,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Beta amyloid is certainly an important and key player, but we also know that tau protein, the immune system, vascular system, metabolic health, environment and more all play a role in the disease process.”
While FDA-approved drugs targeting amyloid are now available and in use, Ismail calls for a comprehensive approach to Alzheimer’s treatment that involves multiple approaches.
“Understanding the entire underlying biology and related mechanisms is important to expand our pipeline of treatments and prevention strategies,” an expert said of Alzheimer’s treatment. (iStock)
He recommends “a combination of therapies targeting multiple mechanisms, as well as lifestyle interventions, much like how other major diseases like diabetes, HIV/AIDS and heart disease are treated.”
Added Ismail, “Understanding the entire underlying biology and related mechanisms is important to expand our pipeline of treatments and prevention strategies.”
Potential limitations
Espay also acknowledged the limitation that none of the published studies have allowed access to the individual-level data.
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“We can only work with the group-level data published,” he told Fox News Digital. “Despite this limitation, the results were robustly supported.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Biogen and Eisai (makers of Leqembi) and Eli Lilly (maker of Kisunla) requesting comment.
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