A few weeks ago I wrote a piece discussing options for smoking cessation, and I specifically plugged varenicline, known as Chantix in most countries (“Champix” here in China), as being perhaps the most effective tool we doctors can now offer. Since my posting, a few drug warnings have come out, and it begs the question: …

Today (May 31) is World No Tobacco Day and a good time for all smokers to sit back, take a deep breath and think about quitting their habit. I’m very happy to report that your family doctor finally has a couple good prescription options for you. The usual Rx for years had been a varying …

(Click here for part one, with tips #1-5…) Tip #6: To Every Thing, There Is A Season. Beijing has a surprising variety of all four seasons, which I think is a great thing. Spring and fall, the best times of year here, are unfortunately short, but in general you can expect the same seasonal variations …

Smoking is an emormous global issue, not just among expats. As I discussed before, China’s smoking rate is astonishingly high with over 50% of men smoking. The (surprisingly?) excellent national daily newspaper Global Times this week has a good, comprehensive review of the situation, including growing efforts to control smoking by raising cigarette taxes. The major …

Here’s another fascinating new study which affirms yet again how important those leafy green veggies are. This time the focus was on smokers and their risks for cancers. This study followed a cohort of smokers and collected data on diet, then they analyzed their DNA for changes in 8 genes that are strongly connected to lung …

I find it fascinating that over 50% of men in China are smokers, while only about 5% of women are. Why such a huge discrepancy? These are massive questions for China’s public health teams: why do so many Chinese men smoke? Or you could ask the reverse questions; why do so few Chinese women smoke, …

Smoking is obviously bad for your health, for many reasons. Everyone knows that, including smokers. It’s extremely difficult to give up this addiction, but it’s good to keep reinforcing just how unhealthy it is, and to keep up with the latest research. After all, China’s rate of male smoking is 57%, so there’s a long …