One apparent advantage of cigarette smoking has baffled doctors: smokers who have heart attacks are less likely to die in hospital than non-smokers. But a survey of 1743 New Zealand patients reported in the British Medical Journal (vol 315, p 992) has an explanation. Fewer smokers survive long enough to make it to hospital, says a team at Auckland University.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
3
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
4
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
5
We鈥檝e uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
6
Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time
7
You should turn off fans when it's too hot 鈥 but how hot is too hot?
8
Neuroscience can't tell us the way to govern people's brains
9
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
10
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
