Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer: experts

More than 90 percent of lung cancers in Tianjin are caused by smoking and second-hand smoking, medical experts said at a recent symposium held in the municipality, people.com reported.

Lung cancer is the top cause of death among cancer patients in the municipality, and nine out of every 10 lung cancer patients who died were smokers, experts said at the 10th meeting of the Tianjin Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery held on Nov 24.

There are about 230 million patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases in the country and 3.5 million people die of related diseases every year, said Yu Zhentao, professor and executive chairman of the association.

Smoking, sweets, fatty food, lack of exercise, stress, and obesity are the primary triggers of cardiovascular diseases, Yu said.

Smoking should be given particular attention as it is the most critical threat to myocardial infarction, which results from insufficient coronary blood flow, Yu said. Compared with the senior, younger people have a higher risk of myocardial infarction because of their tendency to smoke.

Yu also said that 75 percent of sufferers of coronary disease and hypertension have a history of smoking. Smokers' likelihood of developing coronary disease is 3.5 times higher than for non-smokers, with the death rate six times higher.