June 6th, 2011
Smoking Found to Be ‘Potent’ Risk Factor for Symptomatic PAD in Women
Larry Husten, PHD
The latest report on the 40,000 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study provides further demonstration that smoking is a “potent” risk factor for symptomatic peripheral artery disease. The paper, by David Conen and colleagues, appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Here are the age-adjusted incidence rates per 1000 person-years of follow-up:
- never smoked: 0.12
- former smoker: 0.34
- <15 cigarettes per day: 0.95
- >15 cigarettes per day: 1.63
Here are the age-adjusted hazard ratios:
- never smoked: 1.0
- former smoker: 2.95 (1.91-4.55)
- <15 cigarettes per day: 8.76 (5.05-15.21)
- ≥ 15 cigarettes per day: 16.51 (10.66-25.57)
Adjusting for other risk factors did not substantially change the results. In their conclusion, the authors noted that “although smoking cessation dramatically reduces the risk for PAD, an increased disease risk remains even after long-term smoking cessation, which demonstrates the importance of both prevention of smoking initiation and efforts to promote long-term abstinence.”