What the Warning Label Doesn't Tell You fills a critical gap, providing the information consumers need to make a truly informed decision on that issue. Journalists, public health professionals, health care providers and antismoking activists will find this book a unique reference source on the hazards of cigarette smoking. Smokers are about 10 times more likely to die of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than are nonsmokers. The risk of laryngeal cancer in heavy smokers is about 12 times greater than the risk in nonsmokers. Compared with people who have never smoked, smokers have more than 20 times the risk of developing angina.
Smoking increases the smoker's risk of developing psoriasis.
One expert estimates that smoking may cause as many as one fourth of all cases. Smoking is a significant risk factor for complications both during and after surgery, including delayed wound healing. In one study smokers undergoing plastic surgery had a 12.5 times greater risk of unsuccessful outcome. Smoking contributes to the bone-thinning disorder osteoporosis by depleting bones of minerals, especially calcium, and by decreasing the amount of estrogen in the body. The bone mineral content of women smokers averages 15 to 30 percent less than that of nonsmokers.