Cigarette smoking may lead to fibrosis in the heart and kidneys, study reveals

Phu Si Huynh, Muhammad Ilyas, Saadiya Jabbar, Valerie Jaroenpuntaruk, Lauren Gates

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27789733

A recent study revealed the that genetic changes occur as a result of smoking that can alter the scarring properties of not just the lungs, but also the heart and kidneys. Briefly, two mouse models were used, one with chronic kidney disease and one without. They were both exposed to cigarette smoke and later, factors associated with heart and renal disease were measured. Interestingly, smoke increased heart disease symptoms in both groups, and further, fibrosis and reduced renal function was also seen, but worsened in CKD groups. This suggests a role for peripheral scarring physiology in response to cigarette smoke.