Results of a new study, released yesterday and confirming information from other studies, indicate that smokers have a lower risk for developing Parkinson's disease. Now, don't go running out for a pack of smokes. There are a lot of factors to be considered in these results.

Although at least a pack a day was mentioned, it appears that how long someone smokes is more of a consideration than how much. Smoking less than 10 years resulted in a 4% lower risk to develop the disease. With 10 to 19 years showing a 22% reduction; 20 to 29 years, 36%; and 30 years or more, a whopping 40%.

Several questions arise from these results. Will smoking slow the disease? It appears it does not. In addition, it does not reduce the risk of death, once someone has it.

Are those more at risk for Parkinson's also more resistant to the addictive effects of smoking? They may be. When researchers looked at the "early smoking behavior" of the participants who developed Parkinson's, it was found they were "less likely to be smokers at a given age" and more likely to quit sooner.

Finally, what - exactly - is it, in the 4,000+ chemicals that come from cigarette smoking, that may block development of Parkinson's disease? Much more research will need to be done. Into those chemicals, and into alternatives that are less toxic.