Here’s a newsflash. Toenail clippings are good for something. Well, that’s what Daniel J. DeNoon claimed on WebMD Health News (http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20110307/toenail-nicotine-predicts-lung-cancer) earlier this month. According to DeNoon, “Toenail tests tell whether you’re at high risk of getting lung cancer from cigarette smoke, even if you’re not a smoker.”
Back in 1987, thousands of male medical professionals donated their toenail clippings to science. Time progressed, and some of these men developed lung cancer. The 20% of toenails containing the highest amounts of nicotine identified men at the highest risk of getting lung cancer. That is, men in the top 20% were 10.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than the 20% of men with the least nicotine in their toenails. And when comparing men at similar levels of reported cigarette use, men with the most nicotine in their toenails were over 3.5 times more likely to get lung cancer than those with the least toenail nicotine.
Furthermore, additional research has shown that toenail nicotine levels predict the risk of heart disease in women. Women with the highest toenail nicotine levels have a 42% higher risk of heart disease than do those with the lowest levels.
Please read DeNoon’s article, particularly if you or someone you love smokes or is exposed to second-hand smoke.
Warm wishes,
Laurel Anne Hill (Author of “Heroes Arise”)
http://www.laurelannehill.com