“A year after kicking the habit, smokers’ arteries showed signs of reversing a problem that can set the stage for heart disease, according to the first big study to test this. The improvement came even though smokers gained an average of 9 pounds after they quit, researchers found. Their levels of so-called good cholesterol improved, too. ‘A lot of people are afraid to quit smoking because they’re afraid to gain weight,’ said the study’s leader, Dr. James Stein, a University of Wisconsin-Madison cardiologist. The new research shows these people gain a health benefit even though they pick up pounds that hopefully can be shed once they have gotten used to not smoking, he said.” (03/16/10)