Helping smokers with cardiac disease to abstain from tobacco after a stay in hospital

Despite legislation, marketing and sale restrictions, widespread public information and international treaties smoking remains one of the leading causes of death and illness in many countries of the world. Smoking is the main preventable cause of premature death in developed countries. (1) An estimated 17 million people die of CVDs, particularly heart attacks and strokes, every year. Quitting smoking is one of the most effective things we can do to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Quitting smoking can be a difficult process but is well worth the effort. Encouraging smoking cessation need to be recognized as an important part of medical care and public health. Public health communities have an important role to play in creating practice environments that promote cessation treatment as part of routine care.

A recent Cochrane systematic review found that smoking cessation could reduce death by 36% among people with CVDs. (2) Smoking cessation ranks among the most effective medical interventions in our era (3) and it is unfortunate that our health care systems and public health communities are still not treated it an adequate priority area. Even though Studies have consistently found that modern smoking cessation strategies are cost effective. (4)

Reference:

(1) Desapriya E, Turcotte K, Subzwari S, Pike I. Smoking inside vehicles should be banned globally. Am J Public Health. 2009;99(7):1158-9

(2). Critchley J, Capewell S. Smoking cessation for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(1):CD003041.

(3). Wang D, Connock M, Barton P, Fry-Smith A, Aveyard P, Moore D. 'Cut down to quit' with nicotine replacement therapies in smoking cessation: a systematic review of effectiveness and economic analysis. Health Technol Assess. 2008;12(2):iii-iv, ix-xi, 1-135.

(4). Stead LF, Perera R, Bullen C, Mant D, Lancaster T. Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008; 23(1):CD000146.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared