Cardiovascular Care Settings and Smoking Cessation

Smoking cessation is one of the most important actions people who smoke can take to reduce their risk for CVD.  This is true for all people who smoke, regardless of age or smoking duration and intensity. The health benefits also extend to patients already diagnosed with CHD.

The cardiovascular benefits of smoking cessation include:

• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces markers of inflammation and hypercoagulability
• chevron circle right solid icon Leads to rapid improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the development of subclinical atherosclerosis and slows progression as time since cessation lengthens.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of disease and death from CVD.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, with risk falling sharply 1 to 2 years after cessation and then declining more slowly over the longer term.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of disease and death from stroke, with risk approaching that of never smokers after cessation.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm, with risk reduction increasing with time since cessation.
• chevron circle right solid icon May reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, heart failure, venous thromboembolism, and peripheral arterial disease.

The benefits of cessation also extend to patients with coronary heart disease:

• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of all-cause mortality.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of death due to cardiac causes and sudden death.
• chevron circle right solid icon Reduces the risk of new and recurrent cardiac events.