Toenails = Cancer for Women?

A new study is linking nicotine found in toenails to predicting the risk of heart disease in women.

Research from U-C San Diego shows the higher level of nicotine in toenails equals an increased chance of acquiring coronary heart disease; regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked or exposure to second hand smoke.

Department of Family and Preventive medicine from U-C-S-D-- Doctor Wael Al- Delaimy says women with toenails containing high nicotine levels will suffer from many side effects.

Al- Delaimy says women who have higher nicotine levels are more likely to have a history of high cholesterol, less active physically, a lower body mass index, and consume more alcohol.

He also says they are developing more of the risk factors for acquiring heart disease if they were exposed to higher nicotine.

Researchers studied toenail clippings from more than 62-thousand women collected by the Nurses’ Health Study cohort.

The study also used women between the ages of 36 to 61.

Of the 905 women diagnosed with heart disease they had double the level of nicotine in their toenails as opposed to women without heart disease.

Researchers also found no difference in age, body mass index, aspirin use, or history of high cholesterol leading to toenail nicotine levels.