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| Figure 1 (Messer et al., 2008) |
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and
disease in the U.S. As of 2012, 42.1
million adults in the U.S. were current smokers, and 33.0 million reported
daily smoking (CDC, 2012). Cigarette
smoking accounts for over 480,000 deaths each year and smoking related illness
is estimated to cost over $290 billion each year. The majority of smokers wish to quit or make
quit attempts, however complete cessation is achieved in few of these
individuals. 84% of 18 to 24 year olds
in a survey reported making a serious quit attempt in the last year, however
only 8.5% of them had remained abstinent from tobacco for over 6 months. Cessation rates for smokers older than 24 are
even lower (Figure 1) (Messer, Trinidad, Al-Delaimy, & Pierce, 2008).
One area of research on nicotine examines
the interaction with endocrinology. In
the 1980’s, research was produced implicating a relationship between nicotine
and cortisol, a hormone primarily involved with stress (Seyler, Pomerleau,
Fertig, Hunt, & Parker, 1986).
Additionally, notable sex differences in the effects of nicotine have
been observed, creating questions about the role of sex hormones in tobacco use
(Damaj, 2000). Some research has been
devoted to hormones associated with hunger and satiety, such as leptin and
ghrelin, and the potential influence on nicotine use and craving (Perkins &
Fonte, 2000).
The study of endocrinology and nicotine can be a complex
task. A primary consideration is
understanding when nicotine use affects hormonal responses, and when there is
hormonal control over nicotine use and the effects of the drug. Zoli and
Picciotto (2012) explain that nicotine has an inverted U dose-response
relationship on receptors and behavior, and both desensitized and upregulates
receptors with chronic administration.
Thus acute versus chronic nicotine administration and the dosage used
can lead to varying effects. Lastly,
due to the unethical nature of manipulating hormones in humans, much research
must be done in animal models, which may be simplified or not easily
translatable. All of these factors
together lead to variability in results and some incongruence in the literature
on hormones and nicotine. However,
continuous research exploring different elements of this subject may help uncover
an important relationship between nicotine and components of the endocrine
system.
