New York, NY, United States (AHN) – And yet another reason for women not to light up.

Researchers say that women who smoke may hit menopause about a year earlier than non-smokers.

The study, published in the journal Menopause, reviewed data from several pervious studies that included roughly 6,000 women from the United States, Poland and Turkey and Iran.

On average, non-smokers hit menopause between the ages of 46-51. Smokers however, reached menoucpase overall at around 43-50.

Both early and late menopause have been linked with health problems. Women who hit menopause later in life are believed to be at a greater risk for breast cancer because one risk for the disease is exposure to estrogen.

Earlier menopause is linked to a host of medical conditions including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and others. Also, smoking may, overall, slightly increase of woman’s risk of death in years to follow.

In addition to smoking. alcohol use, weight gain or loss, and whether a woman has ever given birth may also effect a woman’s timing of menopause. The evidence for all the risk factors, except smoking, have been mixed.

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Tel Aviv, Israel (AHN) – A shot of cortisone may stop trauma victims from developing post traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.

Researchers with Tel Aviv University said that if the shot is given within six hours of experiencing a traumatizing event, the patient may reduce his or her chances of developing PTSD by 60 percent.

Professor Joseph Zohar said the findings are important as more U.S. soldiers return home from combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cortisone naturally secretes in the body when a person suffers from trauma, Zohar said. He tested his theory first on lab rats and then in a double-blind study on humans in an emergency room.

With the rats, two groups of the rodents were exposed to the smell of a cat. One group was treated with cortisone right after the event. Zohar said the treatment was effective on the rats.

The people in the ER were given either a shot of cortisone or a placebo. Follow-up exams taken two weeks, one month and three months after the traumatic event showed a significant decrease in PTSD development in the patients receiving the shot.

A full report on the study is published in the October issue of the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

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