Genetic link to smoking addiction

Scientists have identified genetic variations that raise the risk of lung cancer for smokers and former smokers.

There is some evidence to suggest that they may make carriers more addicted to tobacco. Three research teams, writing in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics, each pinpointed two key areas of variation on chromosome 15.

The variants are common in the population - but they only raise lung cancer risk in those who have smoked.

Current or former smokers who carry two copies of both variants, one from each parent - about 15% of the total - have a raised risk of 70-80%.

Those who carry one copy of each variant have a raised risk of around 28%.
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