More than half of smokers go on smoking after coronary events

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7521.862-a

BMJ 2005;331:862 (15 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7521.862-a

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More than half of smokers go on smoking after coronary events

Zosia Kmietowicz

London

Too many people with heart disease continue to smoke even afterthey are aware of their condition, say researchers in the EuropeanHeart Journal (published online 6 Oct 2005, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehi497)[Abstract/Free Full Text].Less than half the patients who smoked before needing hospitaltreatment for a coronary event quit afterwards.

Wilma Scholte op Reimer, lead author of the study and epidemiologistat the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, describedthe finding as "unbelievable." "It makes me wonder if they aretruly aware of the risk that they are taking," she said.

The finding shows that smoking rates in heart patients havenot changed since 1996, when a similar study was done. In thelatest study, 21% of coronary patients were persistent smokersafter treatment compared with 19% in the earlier study.

Four of France's early heart transplantpatients pictured in the 1970s after their operation. Threeout of four continued to smoke

In the latest study, EUROASPIRE II, researchers looked at theclinical characteristics, including smoking, of 5551 coronarypatients aged less than 70 from 15 European countries treatedin hospital during 1999 and 2000.

The patients had been treated for myocardial infarction or anginaor had had a coronary bypass or balloon angioplasty 16 monthsearlier. They were asked about their smoking habits before andafter their admission to hospital; smoking status was confirmedwith a test of the concentration of carbon monoxide in the breath.

Of the 2244 patients who smoked before their treatment, 48%succeeded in quitting. Older patients were most likely to quit.More than half (53%) of patients older than 60 stopped smokingcompared with 41% aged younger than 50. Patients who were bettereducated, had had a myocardial infarction, were obese, and werestill under the care of a cardiologist were also more likelyto quit.