Smokers with heart disease could gain five healthy years by quitting

According to Dutch cardiologists, whose work was presented this week at a congress of the European Society of Cardiology[1], heart patients who quit smoking get the same lifesaving benefits as those from taking three different heart attack prevention drugs.

Their research extracted data from nearly 1,000 patients, nearly 801 men, with an average age of 60, who were still smoking at least six months after suffering a heart attack and/or undergoing stent implantation or bypass surgery. The patients were well managed with standard preventative medications (antiplatelets, statins, and blood pressure lowering drugs). The median time since the heart attack or surgery was 1.2 years.

A gain of nearly 5 years of healthy life by quitting smoking

The researchers' statistical model estimated the gain in healthy years—meaning they would be free of heart attacks and strokes—if patients quit smoking. The doctors also calculated the gain in healthy years of life if the patients continued to smoke but took three additional medications to prevent cardiovascular disease. The three medications included bempedoic acid and PCSK9 inhibitors, which lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug.

The researchers found that the estimated benefit of smoking cessation appeared to be comparable to using all three pharmaceutical treatments. Smoking cessation resulted in a gain of 4.81 event-free years, while taking all three medications together resulted in a gain of 4.83 event-free years.

The Many Benefits of Quitting Smoking Completely

Smoking cessation remains the cornerstone of preventing heart attacks and strokes, and also improving overall health, including after a heart attack, at any age. Smoking is responsible for 50% of all preventable deaths among smokers, half of which are due to cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking completely after a heart attack is linked to improved survival compared to continuing to smoke.

For the author of the study, Dr. Tinka Van Trier, these results indicate that quitting smoking is therefore a very important step in preserving years of healthy life and points out that the analysis did not take into account the other very numerous benefits that completely stopping smoking brings, notably on the respiratory system or the prevention of cancers.

Keywords: Quitting smoking, smoking, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, health

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[1] Press release, Smokers with heart disease could gain five healthy years by quitting, ESC Preventive Cardiology 2022 of the European Society of Cardiology held online on April 7-9, 2022, accessed April 8, 2022