In people with heart disease, the benefits of quitting smoking are equivalent to treatment with multiple medicines, according to a new analysis presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2022 — a conference organized by the European Society of Cardiology — and described in a press release from the organization.
It’s no secret that smoking tobacco can contribute to numerous serious health problems, especially in people with diabetes. Diabetes increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and related problems, so in combination with smoking, people with diabetes are at much higher risk for health problems including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, gum disease and tooth loss, and eye disease and vision loss. Studies also show that smokers are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the first place, since smoking appears to increase insulin resistance. This also means, of course, that if you have diabetes, smoking may contribute to worse blood glucose control. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that quitting smoking may lead to numerous benefits in people with diabetes, including better blood glucose control, less diabetes-related distress, and a healthier body weight.
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For the latest analysis, researchers compared cardiovascular outcomes in people with a history of acute coronary syndrome — a term that covers a range of conditions in which blood flow to the heart is suddenly reduced or blocked, usually due to coronary artery disease (CAD). Using data from multiple studies, they compared the effects of quitting smoking versus continuing to smoke in 989 adults ages 45 and older — with an average age of 60 — who continued to smoke for at least six months after they developed acute coronary syndrome. At the time of the study intervention period, when some participants received help to quit smoking, the median amount of time since participants developed acute coronary syndrome was 1.2 years.
The main outcome the researchers were interested in was a gain in life years without major cardiovascular events, like a heart attack or stroke. But they didn’t just compare quitting smoking with continuing to smoke. Instead, they also compared outcomes in participants who quit smoking with outcomes in participants who continued to smoke, but started taking one or more drugs aimed at reducing the risk for cardiovascular events — such as Nexletol (bempedoic acid), colchicine, or PCSK9 inhibitors.
Benefits of quitting smoking comparable to those from multiple heart medicines
The researchers found that quitting smoking — without taking any additional drugs aimed at preventing cardiovascular events — was linked to an average gain of 4.81 years without cardiovascular events, compared with continuing to smoke. Continuing to smoke while taking one or more targeted drugs was linked to an average gain of 4.83 years without cardiovascular events, compared with just continuing to smoke. In other words, quitting smoking appeared to have almost the same degree of benefit as continuing to smoke while taking drugs aimed at preventing cardiovascular events.
“The benefits of smoking cessation are even greater than we realized,” said study author Tinka J. van Trier, MD, a cardiologist at Amsterdam University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, in the press release. “Smoking cessation remains a cornerstone of preventing heart attacks and strokes and improving overall health at any time, including after a heart attack and at any age.”
Van Trier also noted that while self-motivation is critical to quitting smoking, you may also benefit from medical support, including psychological support from medical professionals. Talk to your health care provider if you’re interested in resources that may help you quit smoking.
Want tips for kicking butts? Read “Quitting Smoking With Diabetes.”
