Why Women Become Nicotine Dependent Faster & Struggle More To Quit

A recent study by the University of Kentucky delved into nicotine dependence and the efforts to quit smoking among women. Researchers led by Sally Pauss aimed to study why women are likely to get addicted to smoking faster than men and why women find it harder to get clean. In a striking revelation, the study suggests the female sex hormone, oestrogen, might be playing a key role in nicotine addiction. The scientists investigated the disparity in nicotine addiction and discovered a potential link to olfactomedin, a protein involved in the brain's reward system. The study revealed how oestrogen, olfactomedin, and nicotine interact and make women more susceptible to addiction.

The University of Kentucky published the findings in the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, revealing that nicotine appears to suppress the production of olfactomedin while oestrogen increases olfactomedin expression. The findings of this female-centric study will be influential in formulating programs and drugs to help women facing addictions, researchers say.

Could Oestrogen Be The Reason?

Smoking has been one of the leading causes of preventative diseases around the world. In the United States alone, over 4.8 lakh persons are killed by smoking every year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of 2021, roughly 11% of American adults reported smoking cigarettes, with men slightly more likely to smoke than women.

While fewer women show signs of addiction, studies reveal that women are likely to get addicted faster than men and also face more challenges to overcome this addiction. "Women have a higher propensity to develop an addiction to nicotine than men and are less successful at quitting," Sally Pauss, a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington said.

"Our work aims to understand what makes women more susceptible to nicotine use disorder to reduce the gender disparity in treating nicotine addiction," Pauss added. The study revealed that the hormone oestrogen, most produced in the female body, is where the cause lies. Oestrogen, olfactomedin, and nicotine interact and make women more susceptible to addiction.

The researchers then performed a series of studies with human uterine cells and rats to better understand the interactions between olfactomedins, oestrogen and nicotine. Through their experiments, it was revealed that oestrogen activates olfactomedins, which, in turn, are suppressed in the presence of nicotine in areas of the brain involved in reward and addiction.

Researchers believe that knowing this will be influential in formulating drugs specifically for women facing addictions. Pauss said, "If we can confirm that oestrogen drives nicotine seeking and consumption through olfactomedins, we can design drugs that might block that effect by targeting the altered pathways. These drugs would hopefully make it easier for women to quit nicotine."