In cases of coronary heart disease, such as myocardial infarction or angina, completely stopping smoking further reduces the risk of stroke.
- Coronary heart diseases, such as angina or myocardial infarction, are caused by atherosclerosis.
- For people with the condition and who smoke, it is better to stop smoking completely rather than reduce tobacco consumption.
- Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of major stroke by almost 50%.
Quitting smoking is good for your health: this is no surprise. However, researchers have been interested in the concrete effects of quitting smoking in patients with coronary artery disease. They presented their results at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, held between August 30 and September 2 in London. They found that quitting smoking was much more beneficial for the health of people suffering from these conditions than reducing smoking.
What is the precise impact of smoking on people with coronary heart disease?
Led by Dr. Jules Mesnier of the Bichat – Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris, the study is based on medical data from more than 30,000 patients, all suffering from coronary artery disease. These pathologies are caused by the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the arteries, also called atherosclerosis. The most common are angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. All participants had been diagnosed with this type of cardiovascular event and were stabilized.
In this work, the researchers sought to understand the precise impact of tobacco on patients’ health. To do this, they recorded major adverse cardiovascular events (MACI), such as cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction, over a 5-year follow-up period.
Quitting smoking: a reduction of almost 50% in the risk of major stroke
12.5% of participants were smokers at the time of diagnosis. Of these, 72.8% quit within a year, while only 27.2% quit in subsequent years.Patients who quit smoking after a diagnosis of coronary heart disease significantly improved their cardiovascular outcomes regardless of when they quit, with a 44% reduction in the risk of major strokes”the authors conclude.
In contrast, for smokers who only reduced their consumption, the risk of major strokes was not “significantly changed compared to smokers who did not change their smoking habits”For the latter, the risk of major strokes increased: 8% for each additional year of active smoking.
“It’s never too late to quit smoking”
“I like to tell my patients that it is never too early or too late to quit smoking, although the earlier a patient quits, the better it is for reducing cardiovascular risk.recalls Dr. Mesnier. EIt is not enough to reduce smoking. Short, clear messages are needed for smokers at every medical intervention, emphasizing the need to quit. Telling patients that they can halve their risk of a subsequent major event or death – as we have shown here – is a powerful message.”
