Smoking and cardiovascular disease during Covid: a bad equation

As World Heart Day takes place on September 29, 2020, the WHO (World Health Organization), the Heart Federation, and the University of Newcastle (Australia) have released a new report on the link between tobacco and coronary heart disease.

A real danger

1.9 million people die each year from heart disease caused by smoking, which is responsible for 20% of deaths from coronary heart disease. The report's authors therefore naturally recommend that smokers quit as soon as possible, pointing out that they are more likely to suffer an acute cardiovascular event than non-smokers, and at a younger age. They also emphasize that the risk of developing heart disease exists even from smoking just a few cigarettes a day, and even from occasional and passive smoking.

Cardiovascular diseases and Covid-19: an increased risk

A recent WHO survey found that among those who died from Covid-19 in Italy, 67 had high blood pressure. In Spain, 43 had heart disease. These figures support the theory that high blood pressure and heart disease increase the risk of developing severe Covid-19. They lead Vinayak Prasad, Unit Chief of the WHO Tobacco-Free Unit, to state: "Governments have a responsibility to protect the health of their populations and help reverse the tobacco epidemic. Making our communities smoke-free reduces the number of tobacco-related hospitalizations, which is more important than ever during the current pandemic."

Support for smoking cessation: a health necessity

According to Eduardo Bianco, chair of the World Heart Federation's Tobacco Expert Group, "Given the current level of evidence on the link between tobacco and cardiovascular health and the health benefits of quitting smoking, not offering cessation services to patients with heart disease could be considered clinical malpractice or negligence. Cardiology societies should educate their members on smoking cessation, as well as promote and even stimulate tobacco control advocacy efforts."

Reducing smoking prevalence is therefore a real public health issue. Governments must therefore increase tobacco taxes and enforce advertising bans, as well as offer cessation services to people who want to quit smoking.