THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The metal cadmium plays a major role in causing emphysema, and even low-level exposure through secondhand smoke and other sources can increase the risk of lung disease, a new study says.

The University of Michigan School of Public Health research also suggests that people with high levels of cadmium in their bodies may have as much as double the risk of developing a pulmonary disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

WEDNESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- After a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome, says a new study that provides further proof that smoke-free laws provide health benefits.

As we celebrate the anniversary of women's right to vote on August 26th, Women's Equality Day, we need to draw attention to the effect of tobacco-related diseases on women.

Lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as a leading killer of women. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease, which kills one of three women in the United States. Babies born to women who smoke and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are at greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, and other chronic lung diseases.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- Here's another reason why adults shouldn't smoke around kids:

In addition to developing asthma and respiratory infections, children in households where someone smokes are more likely to catch a whole range of severe infections, including meningococcal disease. Many even have to be hospitalized, a new study found.

Being around smoke during the first few months of life was most dangerous, especially if the newborn was born underweight or premature.

By Ed Edelson
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand smoke not only damages the delicate cells that line blood vessels but also disrupts the body's natural repair mechanism for those cells, a new study shows.

By Serena Gordon
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand smoke causes signs of cardiovascular damage in children, especially the very youngest, new research contends.