|
Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsDecline in Adult Smoking Stalls, Alarming ExpertsSmoking Seems to Backfire on Teens Hoping for a LiftLung Damage From Secondhand Smoke Observed in RatsYouth Tobacco Use Down Since 2000; No Drop Since 2006Nicotine Can Fuel Breast Cancer, Study SuggestsTobacco Depictions in Popular Movies Down Since 2005FDA Mulling Ban on Menthol CigarettesUsing Multiple Tobacco Products Ups Hazards: CDCCigarette Smoke May Up Cancer Risk By Interfering With GenesPersonalized Video May Be Useful Anti-Smoking ToolDecline in U.S. Teen Smoking Rate StallsWomen Urged to Declare Their Independence From TobaccoSmoking May Boost Risk of Certain Colon CancersWhen Parents Smoke, Kids' Weight, Behavior May SufferHealth Professionals Often Do Little to Help Smokers QuitPatients Could Use More Help Quitting SmokingNew Tobacco Regulations to Take EffectPrenatal Smoking Linked to Pregnancy, Infant RisksLifestyle Changes Are No Guarantee Against Alzheimer'sQuitting Smoking Before Pregnancy Could Save Babies' LivesSecondhand Smoke Linked to Psychological DistressSecondhand Smoke a Mental Health Hazard?Certain Smokers More Apt to Quit Over Price HikesSmoking History, Not Symptoms, Predictive of COPDMore Cancer-Causing Chemicals in U.S. CigarettesDoes Mom Need Help to Stop Smoking?Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in KidsSmoking Ups Risk of Second Breast CancerArteries Age Twice as Fast in SmokersSmoking May Be in Your GenesTailored Therapy May Help More Stop SmokingSecondhand Smoke Boosts Sinusitis RiskDepression and Smoking Go Hand in Hand in U.S.Job Stress Might Actually Help You Smoke LessNicotine Withdrawal Can Complicate Hospital CarePathway Can Identify Smokers Most at Risk for Lung CancerState Cigarette Taxes Not Spent on Anti-Smoking EffortsSmoking May Boost MS Risk in SomeWeight Counseling Plus Drug Helps Women Quit SmokingSmoking History Linked to Greater Eye Inflammation RiskFDA Toughens Rules on Tobacco Sales to KidsBlood Vessels Bounce Back Once Smokers QuitSecondhand Smoke Starts Damaging Arteries in ChildhoodCigars, Pipes No 'Healthy' Alternative to CigarettesClinical Trials Update: Feb. 9, 2010'Third-Hand Smoke' Could Be Troublesome, TooWhen Counseling Costs, Response DwindlesExtended Use of Nicotine Patch Linked to BenefitsSmoker's Own Secondhand Smoke Adds to Health RisksPostpartum Period Good Time to Help Parents Quit Smoking Questions and AnswersLinksBook Reviews |
| |
Blood Vessels Bounce Back Once Smokers Quit
by -- Robert Preidt
Updated: Mar 16th 2010
TUESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Blood vessel function rapidly recuperates after smokers kick the habit, leading to a reduced risk of heart disease and heart attack, new research shows.
The study included more than 1,500 people taking part in a clinical trial to help them quit smoking. Before and one year after the participants stopped smoking, doctors used ultrasound to measure the patients' flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a gauge of the health of the brachial artery, the main artery of the upper arm.
The ability of the brachial artery to relax is closely related to the ability of the heart arteries to relax, and predicts risk for future heart and blood vessel disease, explained the University of Wisconsin researchers.
They compared the FMD readings from patients who successfully quit with those who quit and then resumed smoking.
"Individuals who quit smoking had improved blood vessel function, even though they gained weight, which is a common side effect of smoking cessation," study author Dr. James Stein, an associate professor of medicine at UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said in a university news release. "This confirms that quitting smoking is good for your blood vessels and reduces risk for heart attacks and cardiovascular disease."
FMD improved by as much as 1 percent among patients who had quit smoking for a full year. That's a significant improvement, according to Stein.
"It's statistically significant, but more important, it's also clinically relevant," he said. "A 1 percent change in FMD is associated with an approximately 14 percent lower rate of cardiovascular disease events. That means patients who permanently quit smoking are less likely to have a heart attack and heart disease."
The study was presented this week at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Atlanta and published simultaneously in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Cardiovascular disease is the cause of about one-third of smoking-related premature deaths in the United States.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about smoking and your heart.
This article: Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved. |
