Smoking and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Another Reason Not to Start

Risk for aneurysm rupture was associated with current smoking and, to a slightly smaller but still significant degree, with past smoking.

Cigarette smoking is regarded as the most common modifiable risk factor in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. In previous studies, about 45% to 75% of patients with ruptured brain aneurysms were current or former smokers. Quantifying the degree of risk according to smoking duration and intensity has important implications. In this study, the authors assessed smoking history and other risk factors in 1446 patients with ruptured aneurysms and 4045 subjects with unruptured aneurysms from two hospitals over a 26-year period. Cases were classified as current smokers, former smokers, or never smokers. Among patients with histories of cigarette use, the researchers recorded intensity, duration, and years since smoking ceased.

Among patients wit…

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Smoking and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Another Reason Not to Start

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Reviewing Author