Persistent smoking after a cardiovascular event: A nationwide retrospective study in Korea

Smoking is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as stroke and ischemic heart disease. Prior studies have observed people continued smoking even after being diagnosed with CVD. However, population-level data regarding smoking behavior changes among people who are diagnosed with CVD are still lacking. From the National Health Insurance sample cohort database, we identified 1,700 patients diagnosed as having CVD between 2003 and 2012, and underwent the national health screening examination in the year before and after the CVD event. We found that 486 (28.6%) were smokers before the CVD event. Among them, 240 (49.4%) continued to smoke despite the diagnosis. We observed that a higher smoking amount and longer smoking duration before the diagnosis were associated with persistent smoking. Our finding that approximately 50% of smokers continue smoking even after CVD events supports the need for an assessment of patients’ smoking statuses during follow-up after a CVD event and for health-care providers to offer the appropriate smoking cessation interventions to those who continue smoking.