Vascular Outcomes in Women Improve Rapidly After Smoking Cessation

The risk for death from vascular diseases escalates sooner after starting and declines sooner after quitting than risks for death from other smoking-related causes.

The hazards of smoking are reversible, but how rapidly do the risks decline after quitting? During 22-year follow-up of 104,519 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study, smoking status was updated every 2 years. Investigators classified participants as never, past, or current smokers and stratified current smokers by number of daily cigarettes (1 to 14, 15 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 or more). The 12,483 deaths that occurred in the study population were categorized as resulting from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), various cancers, or other causes.

Among current smokers, the association of mortality with number of cigarettes smoked per day varied by disease…

Reviewing Author

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

JoAnne M. Foody, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardAegerion; Amarin; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Janssen; Merck; Pfizer; Sanofi-Aventis; Boehringer Ingelheim

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardiosmart (Co-chair)

Vascular Outcomes in Women Improve Rapidly After Smoking Cessation

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Reviewing Author