Cigarette Smoking and Stroke Risk in Young Women

Stroke risk was substantially higher in current smokers than in never smokers or former smokers and increased sharply with number of cigarettes smoked daily.

Although tobacco use is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, data about smoking’s contribution to stroke risk in young, racially diverse women are lacking. Investigators analyzed data from the Stroke Prevention in Young Women Study to determine whether a dose–response relation exists between tobacco use and incidence of ischemic stroke. Women (age range, 15–49) hospitalized with first cerebral infarctions were identified based on discharge surveillance of 59 hospitals in the greater Baltimore–Washington DC area. Investigators analyzed interview data on smoking history in 466 women with stroke (cases) and 604 age-matched controls with no history of stroke.

Compared with controls, cases were older; were more …

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)

Cigarette Smoking and Stroke Risk in Young Women

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Reviewing Author