Smoking could be far worse health-wise for men than women, according to research published in the journal, Science.
The study found that smoking puts men at greater risk from some cancers than women. Its authors said: “It is clear that smoking is very, very bad for you. But apparently, it’s worse for men than for women.”
This might be because smoking reduces the number of Y chromosomes in men's blood cells.
Because Y chromosomes are only present in men, it shows that cancer is more likely to occur when men lose those chromosomes. This is something which has been backed up by previous research.
There are roughly 10 million adults who smoke cigarettes in Great Britain. More men than women smoke in the UK with 22% of adult men and 19% of adult women smoking.
A study by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden evaluated 6,000 men and looked at how a variety of factors impacted their Y chromosomes. Factors included age, exercise, cholesterol and smoking.
The scientists found that age and smoking were associated with the loss of Y chromosomes in a man's body.
Despite this, it's not all doom and gloom as scientists found that those who quit smoking were able to regenerate Y chromosomes. Meaning it's never too late to kick the habit.