A large study found that patients with coronary artery disease who quit smoking had a 44% lower risk of major heart events, like death or heart attack, over five years. Cutting down on smoking had little effect, and continuing to smoke increased the risk by 8% each year. It’s important to talk about quitting smoking within the first year of diagnosis and remind patients to stop at every consultation.
Research presented at ESC Congress 2024 showed that quitting smoking after diagnosis almost halved the risk of significant events, while just reducing smoking didn’t have much impact.
The international CLARIFY registry studied how smoking affects heart problems in patients with stable coronary artery disease. It included 32,378 patients. They looked at the chances of having a significant heart problem, like a heart attack or death, over five years.
On average, patients joined the study 6.5 years after their diagnosis. Of them, 41.3% had never smoked, 46.2% were former smokers, and 12.5% were current smokers. Among former smokers, 72.8% quit smoking within a year of diagnosis, but only 27.2% quit later. Dr. Jules Mesnier emphasized that the first year after diagnosis is the best time to help patients quit smoking.
Patients who quit smoking after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease significantly improved their heart health, lowering their risk of significant heart problems by 44%. Cutting back on tobacco without quitting did not considerably reduce risk.
Each extra year of smoking, they increased the risk of significant heart problems by 8%. Although quitting smoking quickly reduced the risk, former smokers still had a higher risk than those who never smoked.
Dr. Mesnier said, “It’s never too early or too late to quit smoking, but quitting sooner is better. It’s essential to give smokers clear advice to stop, not just cut back. Quitting smoking can halve the risk of major heart events. Support to quit can include advice, counseling, behavior changes, and medication.”
Research presented at ESC Congress 2024.