Smoking: The sex divide

Women smoke when they are happy, says research

Men and women smoke for different reasons, says research published on Tuesday.

Men are more likely to smoke because they are angry - and women when they are happy, it says.

Each of the participants was monitored during two continuous 24-hour periods.

Their blood pressures were taken approximately one every 20 minutes, and recorded their moods and cigarette consumption in a diary.

The researchers found both men and women were more likely to reach for a cigarette when in an angry mood - but this link was stronger in men.

Both men and women were more likely to smoke when feeling sad, and twice as likely to smoke when feeling anxious.

But women were much more likely than men to smoke when feeling happy.

Aiming to quit

The lead researcher in the project, Dr Ralph Delfino, from the University of California at Irvine, said doctors trying to help people quit smoking should take these differences into account.

He said: "Anger and negative feelings may trigger smoking in some people, a process that may explain the higher relapse rates following smoking cessation that have been reported for high-hostile rather than low-hostile and for depressed rather than non-depressed individuals.

"Smoking-cessation and preventive interventions may require new methods that teach anger and stress management as well as broader aspects of effective emotional regulation."

The study only included observations of 25 women and 35 men, so may not be comprehensive.

Another study, also published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, suggests the benefits of quitting smoking could be felt within weeks of stopping.

Just nine weeks after quitting, a gorup of smokers who reduced their consumption on average by half had enjoyed a significant drop in the levels of carbon monoxide in the blood.

This gas prevents the blood from carrying oxygen efficiently around the body.

The study subjects also saw their cholesterol levels - another key heart risk indicator - more than halved on average.