Trends and predictors of smoking cessation after percutaneous coronary intervention (from Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1999 to 2010)

Smoking behaviour in post-acute myocardial infarction patients: cross-sectional study

Introduction

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in developed countries, and cigarette smoking contributes to a significant proportion of cardiovascular-related deaths. Abstaining from tobacco use is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of recurrent myocardial infarctions.

Methodology

In this cross-sectional study, 384 participants post-acute myocardial infarction (MI) were recruited through random sampling to explore the associations between smoking status and intention to quit smoking. Data collection took place over a 6-month period at a tertiary care hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Results

The majority of participants were male (59.9%) and fell into the age category of 46-50 years (37.5%). Heavy daily smokers comprised the largest smoking group (41.6%), and non-ST-elevated MI was the most common subtype (40.1%). Intention to quit smoking varied among participants, with the pre-contemplation stage having the highest representation (19.3%), followed by contemplation (25.8%). Notably, a significant proportion of participants expressed no intention to quit smoking (35.4%).

Conclusion

Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified current smoking as a significant predictor of intention to quit in the preparation and contemplation stages. Overall, this study underscores the importance of considering smoking behaviour when evaluating the intention to quit smoking post-MI and highlights the need for tailored interventions and support strategies to address smoking cessation in this population. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of effective strategies aimed at reducing persistent smoking following MI and improving patient outcomes.

Safety and efficacy of early varenicline prescription in hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction: East Asian population

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a strong risk factor for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Varenicline is commonly used as a smoking cessation medication, but little is known about its usage in patients with AMI, particularly in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

This is a prospective observational, single-center study collected from May 2018 to July 2021. Study patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI. The primary end point was set as safety of varenicline, focusing on any serious adverse cardiac events within 24 weeks after treatment. Efficacy of smoking abstinence was also assessed through self-reports of complete abstinence over a week before the 24- week clinic visit.

RESULTS

A total of 162 patients hospitalized with AMI were enrolled in our study. Mean age was 56.7 ± 9.95 years and 97% of the patients were male. Most patients (93.2%) received their first dose of varenicline during hospitalization. Time from admission to first dose of study medication was 2.31 ± 2.73 days and duration of drug intake was 7.41 ± 5.18 weeks. At week 24, only one patient had recurrent myocardial infarction, five patients had undergone revascularization for target lesion failure, and no additional patients developed stroke or died. In terms of efficacy, the rate of smoking abstinence was 79%. Light smokers found it easier to quit smoking than heavy smokers.

CONCLUSION

This study may represent the first report on the safety and efficacy of early initiation of varenicline treatment in East Asian population hospitalized due to AMI who recently underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Prediabetes versus type 2 diabetes in patients with acute myocardial infarction and current smoking

BACKGROUND

Smoking is linked with increased risk of cardiovascular events among diabetic patients. Prediabetes is associated with increased risk for microvascular and macrovascular complications. We compared the 2-year clinical outcomes of current smoking between prediabetic and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after newer-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

METHODS

A total of 5161 AMI patients who were currently smoking were classified into normoglycemia (group A: 1,416), prediabetes (group B: 1,740), and T2DM (group C: 2,005) groups. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction and any repeat revascularization. The secondary endpoint was the occurrence of stent thrombosis (ST) and stroke.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidences of all primary and secondary endpoints including MACEs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.150; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.891-1.484; P = 0.284), ST, and stroke were similar between group B and group C. The cumulative incidences of MACEs (aHR: 1.385; 95% CI: 1.007-1.904; P = 0.045) and all-cause death or MI were significantly higher in group B than in group A. The cumulative incidences of MACEs (aHR: 1.572; 95% CI: 1.157-2.137; P = 0.004), all-cause death, Re-MI, and all-cause death or MI were significantly higher in group C than in group A.

CONCLUSIONS

Current smoking leads to worse clinical outcomes in patients with AMI and prediabetes, and thus, similarly to T2DM patients, more attention and more intensive treatment strategy including quitting smoking would be advantageous.

Smoking cessation for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Smoking is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly coronary heart disease (CHD). However, quitting smoking may prevent secondary CVD events in people already diagnosed with CHD.  OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of smoking cessation on death from CVD and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), in people with incident CHD.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group's Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the trials registries clinicaltrials.gov and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. We ran all searches from database inception to 15 April 2021.  SELECTION CRITERIA: We included cohort studies, and both cluster- and individually randomised controlled trials of at least six months' duration. We treated all included studies as cohort studies and analysed them by smoking status at follow-up. Eligible studies had to recruit adults (> 18 years) with diagnosed CHD and who smoked tobacco at diagnosis, and assess whether they quit or continued smoking during the study. Studies had to measure at least one of our included outcomes with at least six months' follow-up. Our primary outcomes were death from CVD and MACE. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, new-onset angina and change in quality of life.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We followed standard Cochrane methods for screening and data extraction.  We assessed the risk of bias for the primary outcomes using the ROBINS-I tool. We compared the incidence of death from CVD and of MACE (primary outcomes) between participants who quit smoking versus those who continued to smoke for each included study that reported these outcomes. We also assessed differences in all-cause mortality, incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction, incidence of non-fatal stroke and new onset angina. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). For our outcome, change in quality of life, we calculated the pooled standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI for the difference in change in quality of life from baseline to follow-up between those who had quit smoking and those who had continued to smoke. For all meta-analyses we used a generic inverse variance random-effects model and quantified statistical heterogeneity using the I²statistic. We assessed the certainty of evidence for our primary outcomes using the eight GRADE considerations relevant to non-randomised studies.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 68 studies, consisting of 80,702 participants. For both primary outcomes, smoking cessation was associated with a decreased risk compared with continuous smoking: CVD death (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.75; I² = 62%; 18 studies, 17,982 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and MACE (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.71; I² = 84%; 15 studies, 20,290 participants; low-certainty evidence). These findings were robust to our planned sensitivity analyses. Through subgroup analysis, for example comparing adjusted versus non-adjusted estimates, we found no evidence of differences in the effect size. While there was substantial heterogeneity, this was primarily in magnitude rather than the direction of the effect estimates. Overall, we judged 11 (16%) studies to be at moderate risk of bias and 18 (26%) at serious risk, primarily due to possible confounding. There was also some evidence of funnel plot asymmetry for MACE outcomes. For these reasons, we rated our certainty in the estimates for CVD death as moderate and MACE as low.  For our secondary outcomes, smoking cessation was associated with a decreased risk in all-cause mortality (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.66; I² = 58%; 48 studies, 59,354 participants), non-fatal myocardial infarction (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.72; I² = 2%; 24 studies, 23,264 participants) and non-fatal stroke (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.90; I² = 0%; 9 studies, 11,352 participants). As only one study reported new onset of angina, we did not conduct meta-analysis, but this study reported a lower risk in people who stopped smoking. Quitting smoking was not associated with a worsening of quality of life and suggested improvement in quality of life, with the lower bound of the CI also consistent with no difference (SMD 0.12, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.24; I² = 48%; 8 studies, 3182 participants).  AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate-certainty evidence that smoking cessation is associated with a reduction of approximately one-third in the risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease in people who stop smoking at diagnosis. This association may be causal, based on the link between smoking cessation and restoration of endothelial and platelet function, where dysfunction of both can result in increased likelihood of CVD events.  Our results provide evidence that there is a decreased risk of secondary CVD events in those who quit smoking compared with those who continue, and that there is a suggested improvement in quality of life as a result of quitting smoking. Additional studies that account for confounding, such as use of secondary CVD prevention medication, would strengthen the evidence in this area.

The Impact of Smoking Status 1 Year After ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction on Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Patients Aged ≤60 Years

Smoking is associated with increased risk for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at a young age. Although smoking is a modifiable risk factor, smoking cessation rates after STEMI are suboptimal. We investigated the association between smoking status 1 year after STEMI and adverse events in patients (n = 765) aged ≤60 years. Patients were categorized as: (1) nonsmokers, (2) quit smoking, and (3) continued/resumed smoking. The association between smoking status and risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) was analyzed during a median follow-up of 8 years. At presentation with STEMI, the mean age was 51 ± 7 years (88% men) and 427 (56%) were smokers. A year after STEMI, 272 continued smoking, 35 quit but later resumed smoking (summed to a single group; n = 307), and 120 quit smoking. Continued smoking was associated with younger age, male gender, lower weight, and low socioeconomic status. Compared with nonsmokers, the adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, death, and MACE was 2.51 (1.67 to 3.73), 2.07 (0.94 to 4.56), 3.73 (1.84 to 7.58), 2.52 (1.53 to 4.13), and 2.40 (1.80 to 3.22), accordingly, in those who continued to smoke. However, the adjusted hazard ratio was not significantly associated with these outcomes in patients who quit smoking (MACE: 1.20 [0.77 to 1.87], p=0.414; nonsignificant for individual end points). In conclusion, the prevalence of smoking in young and middle-aged patients presenting with STEMI is high and smoking cessation rates are low. A year after STEMI, those who continued to smoke had worse cardiovascular outcomes and death compared with nonsmokers; however, the long-term outcomes among those who quit smoking appear to be comparable with nonsmokers. The results highlight the contrast between health benefits of quitting smoking after STEMI and low abstinence rates in clinical practice.

Smoking cessation after acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Smoking cessation is an effective secondary prevention measure after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We conducted a systematic review with the aim to better understand which patients have a greater propensity to quit smoking and the risk factors for continued smoking after ACS.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated smoking cessation after ACS. The pooled rate of smoking cessation across included studies was performed. Random effects meta-analysis for different variables and their association with smoking cessation was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 39 studies with 11 228 patients were included in this review. The pooled rate of smoking cessation following ACS across 38 studies was 45.0%. Factors associated with greater likelihood of smoking cessation were attendance at cardiac rehabilitation (OR 1.90 95% CI 1.44-2.51), married/not alone (OR 1.68 95% CI 1.32-2.13), intention/attempt to quit smoking (OR 1.27 95% CI 1.11-1.46), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.24 95% CI 1.03-1.51) and hospitalised duration (OR 1.09 95% CI 1.02-1.15). Variables associated with a lower likelihood of smoking cessation were depression (OR 0.57 95% CI 0.43-0.75), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/lung disease (OR 0.73 95% CI 0.57-0.93), previous admission with acute myocardial infarction/cardiac admission (OR 0.61 95% CI 0.47-0.80), cerebrovascular disease/transient ischaemic attack (OR 0.42 95% CI 0.30-0.58) and unemployment (OR 0.37 95% CI 0.17-0.80).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of smokers with an ACS continue to smoke after admission. Patients attending cardiac rehabilitation show increased odds of quitting while people who are depressed and those with chronic lung disease were less likely to quit smoking and should be targeted for intensive smoking cessation interventions.

A randomized controlled trial of motivational interviewing as a tool to enhance secondary prevention strategies in cardiovascular disease (MICIS study)

Physical activity/exercise has consistently been shown to improve objective measures of functional capacity, enhance quality of life, improve coronary risk profile, and reduce mortality for individuals with coronary heart disease. Despite the gains achieved by those who attend cardiac rehabilitation (CR) many individuals fail to maintain lifestyle changes.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing as a strategy for promoting maintenance of cardiac risk factor modification in patients who had participated in standard, 6-week outpatient CR programs.

In a randomized controlled trail, participants in usual care and intervention group (Motivational interviewing supplemental to a standard 6-week CR program) were followed up at 6-weeks and 12-months. The primary outcome was distance walked on the six-minute walk test (6MWT), used as both an indicator of functional capacity and habitual physical activity. Secondary outcomes included modifiable coronary risk factors (smoking, self-reported physical activity, waist circumference, body mass index and medication adherence), psychological status (depression, anxiety, stress, perceived cardiac control, perceived social support, exercise self-efficacy) and quality of life.

Total 110 patients, usual care (n = 58) and intervention (n = 52), consented to participate in the study. Overall, demographic and clinical characteristics did not differ between groups at baseline. Motivational interviewing was no more likely to promote maintenance of cardiac risk factor modification (both primary and secondary outcomes) than a standard CR program alone. Both intervention and control groups maintained the gains achieved during CR at the 12-month follow-up except for weight loss.

Although both groups maintained the gains achieved during CR for physical activity, there was no effect of the intervention on maintenance of cardiac risk factor modification on both primary and secondary outcomes.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Prevalence of Smoking Cessation in Cardiovascular Patients After Participating in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Smoking is the most important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor causes around approximately one of every 4 cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the standard way of management of heart diseases after myocardial infraction. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular patients' quit smoking after participation in CR. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and google scholar were searched systematically. In total, 18 studies were analyzed. Results showed that the mean age of smokers' were 54.80 (52.06, 57.55), and of them 53 % (22%, 83%) quit smoking after participating in CR. Subgroup analysis showed that among type of CR the most effective one was the educational along with physical exercise (comprehensive CR) cause 99% (98%, 100%) smoking cessation (SC). Group-based methods with76% (57%, 94%) of quitters showed to be more effective than individual-based. It can be concluded that CR has been effective in terms of smoking cessation.

Determinants of persistent smoking after acute myocardial infarction: an observational study

Background

Smoking cessation is one of the most effective secondary prevention measures after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, around 50% of smokers do not quit smoking after AMI. The aim of the present study is to estimate the proportion of patients quitting smoking and to identify determinants of persistent smoking after AMI in a region with increased cardiovascular mortality. We also assessed the time of smoking cessation after AMI.

Methods

We used follow-up data of patients registered with the Regional Myocardial Infarction Registry in Saxony-Anhalt (RHESA) in Germany. We assessed smoking status and determinants of persistent smoking six weeks after discharge from hospital after AMI. Information on smoking, sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors for AMI, experienced symptoms of AMI, and clinical care were gathered in a computer-assisted telephone interview and questionnaires filled out by study subjects and physicians or study nurses.

Results

Out of 372 smokers at the time of AMI, 191 (51.3%) reported that they quit smoking within six weeks after discharge from hospital after AMI. Strongest determinant of persistent smoking was a previous AMI before the current one (OR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.10–4.38) and strongest determinants of smoking cessation were experiencing complications in the hospital (0.37, 95%CI 0.12–1.12) and having a life partner (0.56, 95%CI 0.34–0.95). Most individuals who stopped smoking did so during the initial stay in the hospital, before the cardiac rehabilitation (CR).

Conclusions

Persistent smoking after AMI and its determinants were similar in our region to previous studies. CR cannot be viewed as determinant of smoking cessation – more likely the same teachable moment induces behavioural change with regard to smoking and participation in CR.

The Role of Diabetes Mellitus as an Effect Modifier of the Association Between Smoking Cessation and Its Clinical Prognoses: An Observational Cohort Study

The smoker's paradox refers to an increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes after smoking cessation in patients with coronary artery disease. The mechanisms involved are controversial. The present study evaluated the effect of delay in smoking cessation on clinical outcomes among patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stratified by diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients included in this study came from an established Fu Wai hospital PCI cohort. Smoking behavior was recorded; clinical end points included all-cause mortality and repeat revascularization. The analyses were based on 8489 smokers who underwent PCI. Patients with and without DM were examined separately. Multivariable model analysis suggested that smoking cessation was associated with significant lower all-cause mortality both for non-DM and DM patients. The smoking paradox was observed for revascularization. However, the increased risk of repeat revascularization correlated with quitting time among non-DM patients only, especially if they stopped smoking late (>90 days) after their index procedure (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.40; 95% CI: 2.45-4.72). In conclusion, smoking cessation is associated with a lower mortality rate for PCI patients. However, the relative benefit on repeated revascularization was only observed among non-DM patients if they quit smoking early.

Impact of smoking on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in patients after coronary revascularization with a percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Although cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, inconsistent results have been published in the literature on its impacts on the cardiovascular health of patients after coronary revascularization with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). We performed a comprehensive electronic database search through July 2018. Studies reporting the risk estimates of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients after coronary revascularization with PCI or CABG on the basis of smoking status were selected. Multivariate-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects models with inverse variance weighting. Data from 37 records including 126 901 participants were finally collected. Overall, the pooled RR (95% CI) associated with cigarette smoking was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.09-1.47) for all-cause mortality, 1.08 (95% CI: 0.92-1.28) for major adverse cardiovascular events, 0.96 (95% CI: 0.69-1.35) for cardiovascular mortality and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.81-1.64) for myocardial infarction. The increased risk of all-cause mortality was also observed in former smokers compared with those who had never smoked (RR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03-1.38). Furthermore, the negative effects of cigarette smoking on all-cause mortality were also observed in most subgroups. Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase the likelihood of all-cause mortality in patients after coronary revascularization with PCI or CABG. Smoking cessation is essential for PCI or CABG patients to manage their coronary artery disease.

Factors associated with smoking cessation in patients with coronary heart disease: a cohort analysis of the German subset of EuroAspire IV survey

Background

Tobacco smoking is one of the most important risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). Hence, smoking cessation is considered pivotal in the prevention of CHD. The current study aimed to evaluate smoking cessation patterns and determine factors associated with smoking cessation in patients with established CHD.

Methods

The fourth European Survey of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Diabetes investigated quality of CHD care in 24 countries across Europe in 2012/13. In the German subset, smoking cessation patterns and clinical characteristics were repetitively assessed a) during index event due to CHD by medical record abstraction, b) as part of a face-to-face interview 6 to 36 months after the index event (i.e. baseline visit), and c) by telephone-based follow-up interview two years after the baseline visit. Logistic regression analysis was performed to search for factors determining smoking status at the time of the telephone interview.

Results

Out of 469 participants available for follow-up, 104 (22.2%) had been classified as current smokers at the index event. Of those, 65 patients (62.5%) had quit smoking at the time of the telephone interview, i.e., after a median observation period of 3.5 years (quartiles 3.0, 4.1). Depressed mood at baseline visit and higher education level were less prevalent amongst quitters vs non-quitters (17.2% vs 35.9%, p = 0.03 and 15.4% vs 33.3%, p = 0.03), cardiac rehabilitation programs were more frequently attended by quitters (83.1% vs 48.7%, p < 0.001), and there was a trend for a higher prevalence of diabetes at baseline visit in quitters (37.5% vs 20.5%, p = 0.07). In the final multivariable model, cardiac rehabilitation was associated with smoking cessation (OR 5.19; 95%CI 1.87 to 14.46; p = 0.002).

Discussion

Attending a cardiac rehabilitation program after a cardiovascular event was associated with smoking cessation supporting its use as a platform for smoking cessation counseling and relapse prevention.

Effect of Smoking Status on Exercise Perception and Intentions for Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollment Among Patients Hospitalized With an Acute Cardiac Condition

PURPOSE

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) attendance has been associated with higher smoking cessation (SC) rates. However, for unclear reasons, smokers are consistently less likely to enroll in CR than nonsmokers, and it is uncertain what might encourage them to attend.

METHODS

We surveyed patients eligible for CR who were cigarette smokers at the time of hospital admission. We assessed patient intention to quit smoking, start exercising, and enroll in CR. We also measured anxiety and depression levels.

RESULTS

Of the 105 patients approached, 81 (77%) completed the survey (69% males, aged 57 ± 10 y, 72% white). Most patients reported interest in SC (80%) and attending CR (78%). Many felt that SC medications (41%), stress management programs (35%), and an exercise program with SC counseling (30%) would increase their likelihood to attend CR; however, 30% stated that they would be less likely to enroll in CR if they continued smoking following discharge. Many patients indicated high levels of anxiety (51%) and depression (27%); many desired to reduce stress following discharge (73%), with 35% stating that stress management programs would increase their likelihood to attend CR.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalized smokers eligible for CR report significant interest in SC, attending CR, and beginning an exercise program. These patients show high levels of anxiety and depression and indicate a strong interest in stress management programs. These results suggest that messages emphasizing the role of CR in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress are likely to resonate with smokers, increase their enrollment in CR, and support long-term SC.

Smoking cessation after hospitalization for myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery: Assessing patient interest, confidence, and physician prescribing practices

Background

Prioritizing and managing multiple behavior changes following a cardiac hospitalization can be difficult, particularly among smokers who must also overcome a serious addiction.

Hypothesis

Hospitalized smokers will report a strong interest in smoking cessation (SC) but will receive little assistance from their physicians.

Methods

We asked current smokers hospitalized for an acute cardiac event to prioritize their health behavior priorities, and inquired about their attitude toward SC therapies. We also assessed SC cessation prescriptions provided by their physicians.

Results

Of the 105 patients approached, 81 (77%) completed the survey. Of these, 72.5% ranked SC as their greatest health change priority, surpassing all other behavior changes, including: taking medications, attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR), dieting, losing weight, and attending doctor appointments. Patients felt that SCM (44%), CR (41%), and starting exercise (35%) would increase their likelihood for SC. While most patients agreed that smoking was harmful, 16% strongly disagreed that smoking was related to their hospitalization. At discharge, medication was prescribed to ~32% of patients, with equal frequency among patients who reported interest and those who reported no interest in using medications.

Conclusion

The majority of hospitalized smokers with cardiac disease want to quit smoking, desire help in doing so, and overwhelmingly rate cessation as their highest health behavior priority, although some believe smoking is unrelated to their disease. The period following an acute cardiac event appears to be a time of great receptivity to SC interventions; however, rates of providing tailored, evidence‐based interventions are disappointingly low.

Effect of Intensive Personalized "5As+5Rs" Intervention on Smoking Cessation in Hospitalized Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Not Ready to Quit Immediately: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction

The acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who are not ready to quit smoking immediately have an extremely low rate of cessation. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of intensive personalized '5As+5Rs'intervention (IPANR intervention) on smoking cessation in this population.

Methods

A parallel-group randomized controlled trial was carried out, which compared IPANR intervention with routine 5Rs (control) at Fu Xing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Bei Jing, China. Three hundred and twenty hospitalized ACS smokers who were not ready to quit were randomly distributed to IPANR intervention group comprising three individual counseling during hospitalization and 15 intensive follow-up sessions (weekly during months 1, 2, 3, and monthly thereafter until month 6) or 5Rs group in a 1:1 fashion by 8 cardiologists who were blinded to the allocation sequence. Primary end point was carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence rate (CAR) through week 9 to week 12. Secondary outcome included abstinence rate at 24 weeks.

Results

Overall, 97.5% (312/320) participants completed the trial. An intention-to-treat analysis showed statistically significant advantage of IPANR compared with control group at 4 weeks CAR (27.5% vs. 17.5%, RR = 1.571, 95% CI = 1.032-2.392, p = 0.032, number needed to treat (NNT) = 10), and abstinence rate at 24 weeks (23.8% vs.15.0%, RR 1.583, 95% CI = 0.998-2.512, p = 0.048, NNT: 11.36). At 24 weeks, cigarettes smoked per day by the patients who failed to quit were significant lower in IPANR group than 5Rs group (13.21 ± 8.23 vs. 17.45 ± 10.71; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The IPANR initiated during hospitalization, is a feasible and effective approach for smoking cessation in ACS patients not ready to quit immediately.

Implications

Smoking has a major impact on acute stages of ACS for recurrent ischemic events and long-term outcomes. However, there are few evidence-based treatments for smokers who are not ready to quit. This study described a cessation intervention initiated during hospitalization and included 15 intensive follow-up aimed at enabling ACS smokers who were not ready to quit immediately to deliver adequate motivational and behavior change counseling. Given its effectiveness demonstrated in this prospective study, this intervention in hospitalized ACS smokers might have the potential to substantially improve the cessation rate of ACS patients who are not ready to quit smoking immediately.

Patient Perception of How Smoking Status Influences Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance After an Acute Cardiac Hospitalization

PURPOSE

Patients hospitalized with a cardiac condition are less likely to attend cardiac rehabilitation (CR) if they are smokers despite the benefits of doing so. The present study sought to investigate how, if at all, a patient's decision to attend CR was influenced by his or her tobacco use post-discharge.

METHODS

We surveyed smokers during their hospitalization for a cardiac condition. Four to 8 wk after discharge, a follow-up survey assessed self-reported CR attendance, smoking cessation (SC), and patient opinion of how their smoking status influenced CR attendance.

RESULTS

Of the 81 patients who completed the baseline survey (68% male, 57 ± 10 y), 62 (77%) completed the follow-up survey. Consistent with prior findings, there was a substantial correlation between SC and CR attendance (OR: 16.0, P < .001) with 36 (44%) patients attending CR overall and 38 (47%) abstaining from smoking. Patients reported a wide variety of reasons for not attending CR, but most patients (n = 39, 63%) reported that their smoking status did not influence their decision to attend CR. However, 5 patients (8%) reported attending CR because they successfully quit smoking, and 5 (8%) attended CR anticipating support with SC.

CONCLUSION

A strong relationship exists between SC and CR attendance following a cardiac hospitalization; however, most patients did not feel that their smoking status was a factor in their decision to attend CR. Regardless of the reason, it appears that success with one behavior may be related to the other and that both SC and CR attendance should be encouraged.

A comparison of the impact of current smoking on 2-year major clinical outcomes of first- and second-generation drug-eluting stents in acute myocardial infarction: Data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry

There are limited studies comparing the effect of current smoking on first-generation (1G)-drug-eluting stents (DES) and second-generation (2G)-DES in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated the clinical impact of current smoking on 2-year clinical outcomes between the 1G-DES and the 2G-DES in AMI patients after PCI.A total of 11,812 AMI patients with a history of current smoking who underwent successful PCI with 1G-DES (n = 4622) or 2G-DES (n = 7190) were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as all-cause death, recurrent AMI (re-MI) or any revascularization (target lesion revascularization [TLR], target vessel revascularization [TVR], and non-TVR). The secondary endpoint was the incidence of definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST).Two propensity score-matched (PSM) groups (3900 pairs, n = 7800, C-statistic = .708) were generated. After PSM analysis, the 2-year cumulative incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the 1G-DES group compared with the 2G-DES (9.4% vs 7.4%, Log-rank P = .002; hazard ratio, 1.281; 95% confidence interval, 1.097-1.495; P = .002) and this increased incidence of MACE was associated with the increased incidence of any revascularization including TLR, TVR, and non-TVR. However, the incidences of ST, all-cause death, re-MI were not significantly different during 2-year follow-up period.2G-DES was the preferred treatment strategy for AMI patients with a history of current smoking to reduce MACE especially, any revascularization rate rather than 1G-DES in this study.

Impact of current smoking on 2-year clinical outcomes between durable-polymer-coated stents and biodegradable-polymer-coated stents in acute myocardial infarction after successful percutaneous coronary intervention: Data from the KAMIR

Objective

Data concerning the effect of current smoking on solely new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) are limited. We investigated the impact of current smoking on 2-year clinical outcomes between durable-polymer (DP)-coated DES (zotarolimus-eluting [ZES] and everolimus eluting [EES]) and biodegradable-polymer (BP)-coated biolimus-eluting stent (BES) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

Finally, a total of 8357 AMI patients with current smoking underwent successful PCI with new-generation DES (ZES, EES, and BES) were enrolled and divided into three groups as ZES (n = 3199), EES (n = 3987), and BES group (n = 1171). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as all-cause death (cardiac death [CD] or non-cardiac death), recurrent AMI (re-MI), any revascularization (target lesion revascularization [TLR], target vessel revascularization [TVR], and non-TVR). The secondary endpoint was the incidence of definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST).

Results

The 2-year adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of MACE for ZES vs. EES (1.055; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.843–1.321; p = 0.638), ZES vs. BES (HR, 0.885; 95% CI, 0.626–1.251; p = 0.488), EES vs. BES (HR, 0.889; 95% CI, 0.633–1.250; p = 0.499), and ZES/EES vs. BES (HR, 0.891; 95% CI, 0.648–1.126; p = 0.480) were similar. The occurrence of ST after adjustment were also comparable. In addition, the 2-year adjusted HR for all-cause death, CD, re-MI, TLR, TVR, and non-TVR were not different.

Conclusions

In this study, DP-DES and BP-DES showed comparable safety and efficacy during 2-year follow-up periods. Therefore, DP-DES or BP-DES are equally acceptable in AMI patients with current smoking undergoing PCI.

Predictors of smoking relapse after percutaneous coronary intervention in Chinese patients

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence and predictors of smoking relapse after percutaneous coronary intervention in Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND

Smoking is considered a vital risk factor for coronary heart disease. Although smoking cessation could decrease the risks of adverse cardiac outcomes, many patients resume smoking following a short period of abstinence. However, little is known about smoking resumption in patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A longitudinal study was conducted among Chinese patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Predictive variables were assessed at baseline through medical records and interviews with questionnaires including the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale and Smoking Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Smoking relapses were recorded at three, six, nine and 12 months by the self-reporting through telephone or at routine visits to the cardiology outpatient clinics.

RESULTS

A total of 221 patients who quit smoking immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention completed the whole study. Overall, 51.1%(n = 113) of the patients relapsed within 12 months after percutaneous coronary intervention. The prevalence showed a particular rise (49.6%, n = 56) in the first 3 months and a more gradual increase in the following months. The patients who were employed and had higher nicotine dependence, worse depressive symptoms and lower level of smoking self-efficacy were more vulnerable to relapse to cigarettes.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of smoking relapse is high in the patients who stop smoking in the hospital due to percutaneous coronary intervention. The predictors of smoking relapse are employment, nicotine dependence, depression and smoking self-efficacy in the post- percutaneous coronary intervention patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study may prompt the healthcare providers to focus on the issue of smoking relapse and provide some instructions for identification of the patients with a high-risk of relapse after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Life Years Gained From Smoking-Cessation Counseling After Myocardial Infarction

INTRODUCTION

Hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an opportune time to counsel smokers to quit. Studies have demonstrated lower short-term mortality for counseled versus non-counseled smokers; yet, little is known about the long-term survival benefits of post-AMI smoking-cessation counseling (SCC).

METHODS

Data from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project, a prospective cohort study of elderly patients with AMI between 1994 and 1996 with >17 years of follow-up, were used to evaluate the association of SCC with short- and long-term mortality in smokers with AMI. Life expectancy and years of potential life gained were used to quantify the long-term survival benefits of SCC. Cox proportional hazards models with exponential extrapolation were used to estimate life expectancy.

RESULTS

The analysis included 13,815 smokers, of whom 5,695 (41.2%) received SCC. Non-counseled smokers had higher crude mortality than counseled smokers over all 17 years of follow-up. After adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics, SCC was associated with a 22.6% lower 30-day mortality and a 7.5% lower mortality over 17 years. These survival differences produced higher life expectancy estimates for counseled smokers than non-counseled smokers at all ages, which resulted in average gains in life years of 0.13 (95% CI=-0.31, 0.56) to 0.58 (95% CI=0.25, 0.91) years, with the largest gains observed in older smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

SCC is associated with longer life expectancy and gains in life years in elderly smokers with AMI, supporting the importance of post-AMI counseling efforts.

Trends in tobacco use among US adults with chronic health conditions: National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2005-2013

INTRODUCTION

Chronic conditions are among the most common and costly of all health problems. Addressing tobacco use among adults with chronic conditions is a public health priority due to high prevalence as well as greater potential harm from continued use.

METHODS

Data were drawn from 9years (2005-2013) of the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Adult (≥18years) tobacco use included any past 30-day use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or smokeless tobacco. Chronic conditions examined included anxiety, asthma, coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes, hepatitis, HIV, hypertension, lung cancer, stroke, and substance abuse. Controlling for sociodemographics, trends in product use for most conditions and a composite of any condition among those with chronic conditions were compared to respondents with no condition in weighted logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Cigarette smoking declined significantly over time among adults with no chronic condition. Adults with one or more chronic condition showed no comparable decrease, with cigarette smoking remaining especially high among those reporting anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Cigar and pipe use remained stable and more prevalent among those with any chronic condition, with the exception of pipe use declining among those with heart disease. Smokeless tobacco use increased over time, with higher prevalence among those with asthma, mental health, and substance abuse conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have tobacco control and regulatory implications for addressing higher tobacco use among adults with chronic conditions. Provider advice and cessation resources targeting tobacco use among those with chronic conditions are recommended.