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Study: Smoking bans, heart attack reduction linked  

Health advocates have received some ammunition in their arguments for more comprehensive anti-smoking legislation in the Shoals.

The nationally-renowned Institute of Medicine released a report, based on nearly a dozen studies from across the United States, Canada, Italy and Scotland, that says smoking bans decrease the risk of heart attacks. . . .

Florence just completed its first month under a smoking ordinance, which required owners to choose between designating their restaurant as entirely smoking or nonsmoking.

And while it's too early to determine its health imprint, business owners already have noticed where it impacts them the most - their wallets.

Initial observations seem to affirm Frieden's belief.

"Business has gotten a little better,"

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State issues warning on secondhand smoke 

Based on a major new report issued by the Institute of Medicine that concludes avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke reduces heart attack deaths, the Oklahoma State Department of Health is warning Oklahomans with heart disease or with elevated risk for heart disease to avoid places where smoking is allowed indoors.

"The Institute of Medicine points out that even relatively brief exposures to tobacco smoke have adverse effects on the heart and cardiovascular system and that these effects can contribute to heart attacks and deaths," said State Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Cline. "About 700 deaths each year in Oklahoma are attributable to secondhand smoke exposure, and the majority of these deaths are from heart attacks and cardiovascular disease."

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EDITORIAL: The Importance of Extinguishing Secondhand Smoke 

This issue of Circulation includes a meta-analysis of the impact of smoking bans on hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction.2 The findings further attest to the power of government interventions. . . .

A systematic review of 26 studies showed that smoke-free workplaces reduced smoking prevalence by 3.8% and the amount smoked by 3.1 cigarettes daily in those continuing to smoke, together constituting a 29% decrease in total cigarette consumption.19 One of the studies included in the meta-analysis2 found that acute coronary syndrome admissions were decreased in smokers as well as nonsmokers.7 Furthermore, rather than having a negative impact on businesses, smoking bans can increase patronage of restaurants and drinking venues.

Clinicians should advise their patients to avoid public places that permit smoking, and families should be counseled not to smoke at home or in a vehicle with patients. Healthcare professionals can also be powerful advocates, and research such as that described in this issue2 strengthens the case for government action.

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One cig puts young at risk  

ONE cigarette can put young people at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke, a study has warned.

It increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18 to 30-year-olds by an alarming 25 per cent -- increasing resistance in the blood vessels and making the heart work faster.

Leading medic Dr Stella Daskalopoulou claimed smoking just a few sneaky cigarettes could have a significant impact on the heart.

The doctor, a vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre in Edmonton, Canada, said: "Our results are significant because they suggest smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries.

Stress

"This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise."

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Smoking's Damage Swift, Irreversible 

Cigarette smoking starts inflicting “very significant” damage on the arteries with the very first puffs taken by otherwise healthy young smokers, new research shows.

The damage worsens as time passes and is impossible to reverse, says researcher Stella Daskalopoulou, MD, of the McGill University Health Centre.

The study found that smoking just one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18- to 30-year-old smokers by 25% after a treadmill exercise test. It was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta.

As arteries stiffen, she says, the heart must work harder, increasing the risk for heart disease or stroke.

“Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries,” Daskalopoulou says in a news release. “This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise.”

She tells WebMD that the study compared the arterial stiffness of 10 young smokers, who puffed five to six cigarettes a day, to 10 nonsmokers. The median age of the participants was 21 years. Researchers, who included R.J. Doonan and other medical students under her supervision, measured arterial stiffness at rest and after exercise.

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EDITORIAL: More medical support for smoking ban 

Greenwood's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars is being vindicated by yet another scientific study.

A recent report from the Institute of Medicine found that in locales around the world where smoking bans have been enacted, the number of heart attacks has dropped by 6 percent to 47 percent.

The report underlines what the U.S. surgeon general warned of in 2006: There's really no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

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Even Light Smoking Affects Young Adults' Arteries  

Smoking just one cigarette stiffens the arteries of young adults by 25 percent, says a new study.

The stiffer a person's arteries, the greater their risk for heart disease or stroke, noted researcher Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Center in Montreal.

She measured arterial stiffness in smokers and non-smokers, ages 18 to 30, at rest and after exercise. To establish a baseline measurement, the smokers, who smoked five to six cigarettes a day, were asked to refrain from having a cigarette for 12 hours before their first exercise test. Before the second exercise test, smokers were allowed to have one cigarette. Before the final test, they were asked to chew a piece of nicotine gum.

After exercise, arterial stiffness in non-smokers decreased 3.6 percent. But the smokers' arterial stiffness increased 2.2 percent after exercise. In smokers, arterial stiffness increased 12.6 percent after they chewed nicotine gum and 24.5 percent after they had one cigarette.

There was no difference in arterial stiffness between smokers and non-smokers at rest. . . .

The study was to be presented Oct. 27 at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009.

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Clinical Trials Update: Oct. 28, 2009  

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

This 10-week study is for people aged 40 to 80 who have been diagnosed with COPD.

The research site is in Phoenix, Ariz.

More information

Please see http://www.clinicalconnection.com/clinical_trials/condition/copd.aspx.

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Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

This study is for people who have chronic stable heart failure and have an ejection fraction of less than 40 percent. Participants will have an echocardiogram and will be asked to stay overnight. Compensation for time and travel is available up to $2,750 if you qualify.

The research site is in Tustin, Calif.

More information

Please see http://www.clinicalconnection.com/clinical_trials/condition/heart_failure.aspx.

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• Even A Few Cigarettes A Day Reduces Artery Health In Young Adults 

A new study from Canada suggests that even light smoking in otherwise healthy young people damages the arteries, reducing their bodies' ability to deal with physical stress such as exercise, running to catch a bus or climbing stairs.

The study was led by Dr Stella Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal, Quebec, who presented it at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 that is taking place 24 to 29 October in Edmonton, Alberta. The event is co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

In fact, Daskalopoulou and colleagues showed that even one cigarette led to serious adverse effects in young adults: it increased the stiffness of the arteries of otherwise healthy 18 to 30 year olds by 25 per cent, she told the conference.

Smoking helps plaque accumulate in the arteries, leading to a higher risk of blood clots, less oxygen in the blood, and higher blood pressure. It also makes the heart work harder and nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke . . .

"Young adults aged 20-24 years have the highest smoking rate of all age groups in Canada."

"Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries. This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise," she explained. . . .

For the study, Daskalopoulou and colleagues compared the arterial stiffness of young smokers who smoked about five or six cigarettes a day to that of non-smokers. The median age of the participants was 21.

They measured the participants' arterial stiffness in three arteries

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CHURCHWELL: State smoking ban must go further 

As a cardiologist, I've seen firsthand the damage that smoking does to the body. Most patients I have taken care of who have had a heart attack or developed an acute coronary syndrome have a history of smoking or have been in an environment where secondhand smoke is a major issue in their lives. . . .

A study released by the Institute of Medicine earlier this month revealed that smoking bans in public places are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke. . . .

Tennesseans should take this news as a call to action and demand that exemptions to the Non-smoker Protection Act be removed. The societal and financial costs to all of us are too great to continue to ignore. You can get involved and help make Tennessee a healthier place to live and work. CHART, the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee, is building its coalition of supporters to make all Tennessee workplaces smoke-free.

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20 percent of Metro heart attacks due to passive smoke  

Second-hand smoke causes over 20 percent of the number of heart attacks in Metro Manila, officials from the Department of Health (DoH) said on Monday.

One to seven hours of weekly exposure to second-hand smoke increases the number of heart attacks or acute myocardial infarction by 10 percent and a weekly exposure of 21 hours in turn raises the number of heart attacks by 20 percent, said DoH Secretary Francisco Duque III quoting an international study.

The study from the World Lung Foundation and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) also found that over 50 percent of Filipinos in Manila are exposed to second-hand smoke daily--meaning there is a high likelihood of regular exposure to passive smoking, said Duque.

The health secretary added heart attacks and circulatory systems diseases--the top two killer diseases in 2005 which caused over 130,000 deaths--are caused by exposure to second-hand smoking, a scenario that can be prevented if tobacco control ordinances are implemented and followed nationwide.

Globally, over five million people die from tobacco smoke-related illnesses, with 13,000 to 18,000 of these from the Philippines, said Bloomberg Philanthropies representative Kelly Larson.

The Union representative Bill Bellew said the proper implementation of ordinances on tobacco control in over 10 countries were in place, a reduction of 17 percent to 50 percent in the number of heart attacks was noted.

In line with this, The Union and Bloomberg Philanthropies gave DoH a grant of $745,000 to launch a program to intensify the ban against smoking and the implementation of Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 through information campaigns and strict implementation of tobacco control ordinances, said Duque.

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Age, Lifestyle Affect Cardiorespiratory Fitness  

Action Points

* Explain to interested patients that cardiorespiratory fitness declines throughout adulthood, but this decline accelerates if they are physically inactive, obese, or smokers.

* Also explain that the decline begins to increase rapidly after age 45.

After age 45, cardiorespiratory fitness declines at an accelerated rate and is independently influenced by body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and smoking, a longitudinal study confirmed. . . .

The analysis revealed that current smoking also was associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness, with a decline of 0.29 METs in women (95% CI −40 to −0.19) and a decline of 0.41 METs in men (95% CI −0.44 to −0.38).

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Major study validates reason for smoking bans 

A major report confirms what health officials long have believed: Bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and other gathering spots reduce the risk of heart attacks among nonsmokers.

"If you have heart disease, you really need to stay away from secondhand smoke. It's an immediate threat to your life," declared Dr. Neal Benowitz of the University of California-San Francisco, who co-wrote last week's report from the prestigious Institute of Medicine.

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EDITORIAL: Secondhand smoke: We owe it to one another to lessen smoking's effects - it could be a matter of life or death 

Choosing to smoke in public isn't just a personal choice anymore.

A recent study further highlighted the impact of secondhand smoke on others -- particularly those with heart disease.

By adopting and adhering to smoke-free policies, the risk of heart attack can be decreased by 47 percent, according to the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

The study noted that even a brief exposure to cigarette smoke could be enough to trigger a heart attack. . . .

There are numerous resources out there to help in the process, including www.smokefree.gov, the local hospitals and the American Cancer Society.

Smoking continues to be an activity which no longer impacts only the participant. As a community, we owe it to one another to lessen smoking's effects -- especially secondhand smoke.

It could be a matter of life or death.

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EDITORIAL: Secondhand smoke: New study, same message 

The dangers of secondhand smoke have been debated for years.

But all those folks who told you that breathing secondhand smoke was bad for you weren't blowing smoke, after all.

A new study by the Institute of Medicine for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that exposure to indoor smoke, even for a short time, can boost the risk of heart problems for non-smokers. . . .

Some people in the court of public opinion decry smoking bans at restaurants, workplaces and bars as being extreme.

But the latest research indicates that program to reduce the impact of smoking is well worth the effort in public health.

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