Quit smoking to reduce stroke risk if you have irregular heartbeat

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/esoc-qst082120.php

News Release 25-Aug-2020
European Society of Cardiology

 Scientists today urged people with atrial fibrillation - the most common heart rhythm disorder - to kick the habit and cut their stroke risk. The research is presented today at ESC Congress 2020.1

One in four middle-aged adults in Europe and the US will develop atrial fibrillation, a condition set to affect up to 17 million people in the EU by 2030.2 People with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke than those without the arrhythmia. The risk of death is also elevated with atrial fibrillation, by two-fold in women and 1.5-fold in men. Stroke is the most common cause of death in patients with atrial fibrillation.

•••••

Compared to current smokers, quitters had a 30% lower probability of stroke and 16% reduced likelihood of all-cause death, after accounting for other factors that could influence the relationships such as age, sex, high blood pressure, body mass index, and physical activity.

Quitters remained at higher risk compared with never-smokers. The risks of stroke and all-cause death were raised by 19% and 46%, respectively, but these associations were consistently observed only in men. New and persistent smokers had even greater risks of stroke compared to those who had never smoked. For new smokers, the probability was raised by 84% and for persistent smokers it was elevated by 66%.

Study author Dr. So-Ryoung Lee of Seoul National University Hospital, Korea, said: "Smoking precipitates blood clots that could lead to a stroke, which may be why giving up lowers risk. The remaining stroke risk after quitting might be through the damage already caused to the arteries - called atherosclerosis."

•••••