Short report

Smoking, health and ageing

Vittorio Nicita-Mauro¹ , Giorgio Basile¹ , Giuseppe Maltese¹ , Claudio Nicita-Mauro¹ , Sebastiano Gangemi² and Calogero Caruso³

¹  Chair of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

²  Chair of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

³  Immunosenescence Unit, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

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Immunity & Ageing 2008, 5:10doi:10.1186/1742-4933-5-10

Published:	16 September 2008

Abstract

On March 19, 2008 a Symposium on Pathophysiology of Ageing and Age-Related diseases was held in Palermo, Italy. Here, the lecture of V. Nicita-Mauro on Smoking, health and ageing is summarized. Smoking represents an important ageing accelerator, both directly by triggering an inflammatory responses, and indirectly by favoring the occurrence of several diseases where smoking is a recognized risk factor. Hence, non-smokers can delay the appearance of diseases and of ageing process, so attaining longevity.