Smoking bans cut heart attacks, claim
Thursday September 24th, 2009
Countries that have banned smoking in public places have seen a significant decline in the number of heart attacks.
Analysis of 13 studies from North America, Italy, Scotland and Ireland showed that within 12 months of the law being introduced, there had been a 17 per cent reduction in the risk of hospitalisation for heart attack (acute myocardial infarction).
The study, published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, was carried out to determine the "consistent" effect of smoking bans on heart attack rates in communities, and was examined both the direct and second-hand effects of smoking.
Professor Joep Perk, of the Oskarshamn District Hospital, Sweden, and of the European Society of Cardiology, said the findings were impressive and called for the EU to advocate legislation in all EU states.
"Studies like these strengthen the case for preventive cardiology," he said.
"First, what the analysis shows is that the harmful effect of second-hand smoke is much greater than we first imagined. It also shows that the benefits derived from the anti-smoking legislation continue over time in a linear direction," he added.
Since the first smoking bans were introduced (the first in Europe was in 2004 in Ireland) there have been a number of reports showing a decline in hospital admissions for heart attacks. In France, the rate has been reduced by 15 per cent, in Italy 11.2 per cent and Ireland 11 per cent.
A prospective study of all patients admitted to nine Scottish hospitals with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) found that the number of ACS admissions decreased from 3,235 to 2,684 following the smoking ban - a reduction of 17 per cent.
Research commissioned by the UK's Department of Health found a sharp reduction in the number of hospital admissions for AMI in England in the year following introduction of the public smoking ban in July 2007. However, the research was reported as "incomplete".
In Iceland, research presented at the ESC Congress 2009 showed a nationwide smoking ban in public places had led to a 21 per cent reduction in ACS admissions among non-smoking men in the five months after the ban was introduced in June 2007.
Lightwood JM, Glantz SA. Declines in acute myocardial infarction following smokefree laws and individual risk attributable to secondhand smoke. Circulation 2009; CIRCULATIONAHA/2009/870691
Tags: North America | Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Europe | Heart Health | UK News
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