CardioExchange Archive

December 11th, 2012

No Surprise: Smoking and Sudden Cardiac Death Closely Tied

Larry Husten, PHD

Compared with women who never smoked, the risk of sudden cardiac death was significantly elevated in current smokers (relative risk 2.44) and former smokers (1.40). Quitting helps: by 20 years the risk for ex-smokers was similar to women who had never smoked.

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October 30th, 2012

The Research Agrees: Smoking Is Really Bad for You

Larry Husten, PHD

Four new studies offer powerful evidence of the dangers of smoking and the health benefits of quitting or not being exposed to secondhand smoke. Smoking in the U.K. — Between 1996 amd 2001, the Million Women Study started following more than one million women aged 50 to 65 years of age. In  a report published in […]

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June 18th, 2012

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 18th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include imaging risks, oral contraceptives and the risk for MI and stroke, smoking and mortality in those aged 60 and older, and wasteful spending on cardiovascular tests.

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August 11th, 2011

Danger of Cigarettes Greater in Women Than in Men

Larry Husten, PHD

Compared with men, women have a significant 25% increase in risk for coronary heart disease caused by cigarettes, according to a large meta-analysis published in the Lancet. Rachel Huxley and Mark Woodward analyzed data from 2.4 million participants in studies that adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and found that the female-to-male relative risk ratio (RRR) of […]

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June 16th, 2011

FDA: Varenicline (Chantix) May Increase Risk for CV Events

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA said that the anti-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) may increase the risk for cardiovascular events in people who already have cardiovascular disease. The new information will be added to the drug’s label and Medication Guide for patients. The FDA does not recommend that people with cardiovascular disease stop taking varenicline, but it says that physicians […]

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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 […]

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April 21st, 2011

CDC: Half the U.S. Now Protected by Comprehensive Smoke-Free Laws

Larry Husten, PHD

According to a CDC analysis in MMWR, nearly half the U.S. population is now protected from second-hand smoke by comprehensive laws that restrict smoking in three venues (private sector worksites, restaurants, and bars). If the current trend continues, all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be smoke-free by 2020. The first [statewide] law prohibiting […]

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March 15th, 2011

Quitting Smoking Shortly Before Surgery: Is It Safe?

Larry Husten, PHD

Quitting smoking soon before surgery is safe, according to a new meta-analysis published in Archives of Internal Medicine. In response to fears that people who stopped smoking within 8 weeks prior to surgery may have had worse outcomes, Katie Myers and colleagues analyzed data from 9 studies and found no association with postoperative complications. The authors […]

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September 14th, 2010

AHA Rejects Smokeless Tobacco Products

Larry Husten, PHD

Smokeless tobacco products aren’t safe and won’t help people quit smoking, according to a policy statement from the American Heart Association published in Circulation. Although the statement acknowledges that the cardiovascular risks of smokeless tobacco products appear to be reduced compared with cigarette smoking, evidence cited in the statement links smokeless tobacco products to an increased […]

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