A study from the large international CLARIFY* coronary heart disease registry, just presented at the European Congress of Cardiology (London), shows that smokers who quit after diagnosis of coronary heart disease (once it has stabilised) have significantly improved cardiovascular outcomes, regardless of when they quit.
The reduction achieved is –44% in the risk of major cardiovascular events, including death or myocardial infarction, over a five-year follow-up period.
To be precise, coronary artery disease affects the coronary arteries, which are responsible for the blood supply to the heart. It is mainly caused by atherosclerosis, which is a build-up of plaque, partly made of fat, inside the arterial walls. This process gradually narrows the diameter of the arteries, thus slowing down blood flow.
In contrast, in the study, smokers who only reduced their consumption had no change in the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with smokers who did not change their habits.
As for continued smoking after diagnosis of coronary heart disease, it unsurprisingly increases the risk of major cardiovascular events by 8% for each additional year of active smoking.
The year following diagnosis is decisive in deciding to quit smoking
According to the French researchers who conducted the analysis, the best time to quit smoking is the year following diagnosis. The first year after diagnosis represents the crucial window to quit”estimates Dr. Jules Mesnier of the Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital (Paris).
Another finding of the study was expected: although smokers who quit quickly benefited from a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events major compared to smokers, they never reached the level of cardiovascular risk of patients who had never smoked, even after years of quitting smoking.
Dr. Mesnier adds: « j’I like to tell my patients that it’s never too early or too late to quit smoking, but the sooner they quit, the better for reducing cardiovascular risk. Telling smokers that they can halve their risk of having a major event or dying, as we have shown here, is a powerful message. And it is not enough to reduce consumption ! »
Measures to promote quitting smoking include counseling, behavioral interventions, as well as pharmacological treatment, or even the – temporary – use of electronic cigarettes.
For more information: Manage nicotine substitutes properly to put all the chances on your side!
*prospeCtive observationaL LongitudinAl RegIstry oF patients with stable coronary arterY disease ; 32 378 patients
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