Smoking may increase TB risk

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study from South Africa shows that smokers are more likely to develop TB infection.
Tuberculosis (TB), once a major killer, is now on the increase again. Doctors in Cape Town, South Africa, now report on a link between TB and smoking. They looked at 2,401 adults from two urban communities and found that 82 per cent of smokers or ex-smokers had a positive skin test for TB compared to never-smokers.

The reason for this link is unclear. It may be that smoking affects the ability of the lungs to fight off TB infection. However, this study does not prove that smoking actually causes TB. Further work is needed to explore the link. It's possible that social factors that lead people to smoke - such as stress or poverty - are also involved.

Source
Thorax July 2005 Volume 60 pages 555-557

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