CESSATION OF SMOKING IN PATIENTS WITH INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION - EFFECTS ON THE RISK OF PERIPHERAL VASCULAR COMPLICATIONS, MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION AND MORTALITY

Abstract

The effects of cessation of smoking were studied in 343 patients with intermittent claudication. One year after the initial examination 39 (11%) had stopped smoking and 304 (89%) continued to seek. The outcome in these two groups was compared. They were comparable regarding baseline characteristics. Rest pain did not develop in any of the non-smokers. In smokers the cumulative proportion with rest pain was 16% after seven years (p < 0.05). The cumulative proportion with myocardial infarctions after 10 years were 11 and 53%; the cumulative rates of cardiac deaths 6 and 43%; and the 10-year survival 82 and 46% among non-smokers and smokers, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression analyses the association between smoking and infarction (p < 0.05) and cardiac death (p < 0.05) was significant. The survival curves deviated and when they were compared after one year''s follow-up the association between smoking and mortality was significant (p < 0.01). The findings provide further evidence for the fact that it is of utmost importance that patients with intermittent claudication stop smoking.