REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS Quitting smoking is associated with a substantial reduction in risk of all-cause mortality among patients with CHD .
This 36 % risk reduction appears substantial compared with other secondary preventive therapies such as cholesterol lowering which have received greater attention in recent years .
The risk reduction associated with quitting smoking seems consistent regardless of differences between the studies in terms of index cardiac events , age , sex , country , and time period .
BACKGROUND Although the importance of smoking as a risk factor for coronary heart disease is beyond doubt , the speed and magnitude of risk reduction when a smoker with coronary heart disease quits are still subjects of debate .
OBJECTIVES To estimate the magnitude of risk reduction when a patient with CHD stops smoking .
Effects of cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction: changes in coronary risk factors and long-term prognosis.
Prognosis during 5 years of follow-up after first myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) in a group of men ( aged 40 to 55 years ) was related to risk factors determined at the time of MI . Progression of coronary artery disease ( CAD ) was measured by the occurrence of severe angina pectoris , recurrent myocardial infa rct ion , and cardiac death . Only smoking and serum cholesterol level influenced prognosis . It was possible to identify a subgroup ( patients smoking less than 20 cigarettes/day and having a cholesterol level of less than 7.0 mmoles/L ) with low risk for progression of CAD . A r and omly applied 6-week rehabilitation program shortly after MI was associated with a 50 % decrease in progressive CAD when compared to the control group . Since only a slight decrease in cholesterol levels was found in the rehabilitation group , a direct effect of the rehabilitation program could thus not be excluded because the second important risk factor , smoking , did not show differences between the two groups . The smoking habits at the time of MI determined the continuation of cigarette smoking and rehabilitation did not influence smoking habits
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS Quitting smoking is associated with a substantial reduction in risk of all-cause mortality among patients with CHD .
This 36 % risk reduction appears substantial compared with other secondary preventive therapies such as cholesterol lowering which have received greater attention in recent years .
The risk reduction associated with quitting smoking seems consistent regardless of differences between the studies in terms of index cardiac events , age , sex , country , and time period .
BACKGROUND Although the importance of smoking as a risk factor for coronary heart disease is beyond doubt , the speed and magnitude of risk reduction when a smoker with coronary heart disease quits are still subjects of debate .
OBJECTIVES To estimate the magnitude of risk reduction when a patient with CHD stops smoking .