Smoking leads to increased risk for all genders and ages, but young women are at highest risk of major heart attack
Smoking increases risk of a major heart attack at all ages in both men and women; but women smokers have a significantly higher increased risk compared to men, especially women under 50 years old. This is according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Despite the increased risk, smokers can reduce their risk to that of a never smoker in as little as a month after quitting.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men worldwide, and acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is among the most life-threatening forms of heart disease. STEMI is sometimes called a major heart attack and is caused by a complete blockage of one of the main coronary arteries.
Smoking is a risk factor for heart disease and researchers have previously identified smoking as the cause of STEMI in nearly 50 percent of all cases.
“Our study found that smoking cessation, regardless of age or gender, reduces STEMI risk to that of a never smoker, possibly within a month”
The study included all patients in the South Yorkshire region of the U.K. who presented with acute STEMI between January 2009 and July 2014, which included 3,343 STEMIs. The percentage who were current smokers was similar between genders, with 46.8 percent of female patients and 47.6 percent of male patients.
They found that smoking increases STEMI risk in all patients, regardless of age or gender; however, the risk is higher in females compared to males at all ages. The largest relative risk difference between men and women smokers were in the 50-64 years old group, but the highest risk increase in both genders was in the 18-49 years group. Female smokers in the 18-49 years age group had a greater than 13 times higher risk of STEMI compared to their non-smoking female contemporaries. Young male smokers had an 8.6 times increased risk.
The authors of the study proposed that smoking may lower levels of serum estrogen. Female hormone estrogen, has long been known to have protective effects against atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances within artery walls that can restrict blood flow.
However, researchers also found it is possible to substantially reverse the risk by quitting smoking.
“Our study found that smoking cessation, regardless of age or gender, reduces STEMI risk to that of a never smoker, possibly within a month,” said Ever Grech, MD, senior author of the study and consultant interventional cardiologist and TAVI lead at South Yorkshire Cardiothoracic Centre in Sheffield, U.K. “Patients who smoke merit encouragement to give up their habit, and this study adds quantitative evidence to the massive benefits of doing so.”
