In this “Moi(s) sans tabac”, more than 230,000 French people have pledged to stop smoking by the end of November. According to research, the risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in former smokers stabilizes within five years after this good resolution. But a new study is extending this duration: people who have smoked a pack a day for 20 years should finally wait 15 years to see their risk of heart disease and stroke return to normal levels.
These results, obtained by researchers at Vanderbilt University (United States) are relayed by the DailyMail and will be presented next week at the American Heart Association conference. They are based on analysis of data from 8,700 people over the age of 50, half of whom were heavy smokers. Scientists have found that while cardiovascular risk decreases markedly within five years of quitting smoking, heavy smokers’ hearts could take more than ten years to rid themselves of all the damage caused by smoking.
A risk that is decreasing, but persists
After five years, participants who quit smoking saw their risk drop by 38% compared to those who had not quit. But it took up to 16 years for the risk of cardiovascular disease for former smokers to return to a level comparable to that of people who had never smoked. Meredith Duncan, lead author and researcher at the University Medical Center interviewed by the British newspaper, explains that the heart and vessels are the fastest to recover. Full recovery, however, takes many years.
Just 20 minutes after smoking the last cigarette, the person’s heart rate and blood pressure drop to normal levels. Twelve hours later, the carbon monoxide levels in their blood stabilize. A week later, the heart and blood vessels “are no longer exposed to the chemicals in cigarette smoke that make platelets more ‘sticky’ and cause unwanted blood clotting”, develops the American researcher. The risk of heart attack decreases, but persists.
“So even for heavy smokers, we can’t overstate the benefits of quitting”, she concludes. Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of death in industrialized countries and cause nearly 150,000 deaths each year in France. And tobacco, alcohol, sugar and a sedentary lifestyle would be the four main causes. More than a million French people have quit smoking since 2016, but smoking has been on the rise among women for the past fifty years.
Also read:
- The houses of former smokers dangerous to health
- Heart attack: young smokers much more vulnerable
- Smoking: what solutions to quit
