New research shows women smokers face a 25 percent higher risk of developing heart disease than men who smoke.
Women smokers also have twice the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to men, according to scientists at the University of Minnesota.
The researchers add that the reason for the higher risks is not clear, but they suspect there are biological differences in how women's bodies react to damaging cigarette smoke.
The study was published in the online edition of the Lancet .
