Smokers with stable coronary artery disease who quit at any point after diagnosis had a nearly 50% reduction in heart attack risk. However, smoking reduction alone had minimal impact on cardiovascular risk.
This is evidenced by the results of research presented at the congress of the European Society of Cardiology in London, reports the publication EurekAlert.
The study analyzed data from more than 32,000 patients with coronary heart disease included in the international CLARIFY registry over a five-year period.
It turned out that:
- Patients who quit smoking after diagnosis had significantly improved cardiovascular outcomes regardless of when they quit, with a 44% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk;
- Among smokers who merely reduced the amount of tobacco smoked, the risk of cardiovascular disease did not change significantly compared with smokers who did not change their habits;
- The risk of cardiovascular disease after diagnosis of coronary heart disease increased by 8% for each additional year of active smoking;
- Although smokers who quit achieved rapid, significant reductions in cardiovascular disease risk, they never reached the levels of patients who had never smoked, even after many years of abstinence.
Researchers note that simply urging patients to quit smoking to reduce risks is often not enough.
During every medical intervention, smokers should be given brief, clear messages about the importance of quitting. Telling patients that they can cut their risk of a subsequent serious event or death in half – as we have shown in this study – is a powerful message, the researchers say.
Source: EurekAlert
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I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.