The detrimental effects of smoking on our health have been well documented in the scientific literature for years, leading many smokers to believe that reducing their consumption in any way will have a major impact on their overall well-being. A new study from the European Society of Cardiology has some bad news for those planning to cut down on smoking in the hope of improving their health.
The research, presented at the 2024 ESC Congress on August 29, examined the relationship between smoking and cardiovascular events such as heart attack in 32,378 people with heart disease. The scientists found that those who quit smoking completely had a 44% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events, including death and heart attack, over a five-year follow-up period. However, reducing smoking had a “minimal” effect on the risk of major cardiac events.
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Although smokers who quit saw a “rapid and significant reduction” in their risk of cardiac events, they never reached the cardiovascular risk levels of people who never smoked, even years after quitting. Still, that shouldn't stop you from quitting.
“I like to tell my patients that it’s never too early or too late to quit smoking, but the earlier a patient quits, the better they reduce their cardiovascular risk,” study author Dr. Jules Mesnier said in a statement. “And cutting down on smoking is not enough. Smokers need short, clear messages that emphasize the need to quit at every medical intervention. Telling patients that they can cut their risk of a major event or death in half later on—as we’ve shown here—is a powerful message.”
It's a better time than ever to leave the herd.