Current cigarette smoking in older adults was associated with a higher prevalence of clinically significant internal carotid stenosis compared to never-smokers (9.5% vs 4.4%, P<0.0001).
Cross-Sectional (n=5,116)
Yes
Absolute Event Rate: 9.5% vs 4.4%
p-value: p=< .0001
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic diseases in hospital-based studies and in studies of middle-aged populations but not in population-based studies of older adults with and without clinical cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the relation of smoking to carotid artery atherosclerotic disease, expressed as intimal-medial wall thickness and arterial lumen narrowing (stenosis) measured by ultrasound. Subjects were 5116 older adults participating in the baseline examination of the Cardiovascular Health Study, a community-based study of cardiovascular diseases in older age. With increased smoking there was significantly greater internal and common carotid wall thickening and internal carotid stenosis: current smokers > former smokers > never-smokers; for instance, the unadjusted percent stenosis was 24%, 20%, and 16%, respectively (P or = 50%) internal carotid stenosis increased from 4.4% in never-smokers to 7.3% in former smokers to 9.5% in current smokers (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous reports of a positive relation between smoking and carotid artery disease to a population-based sample of older adults using several different indicators of atherosclerotic disease.
Tell et al. (Thu,) conducted a cross-sectional in carotid artery atherosclerotic disease (n=5,116). Cigarette smoking vs. Never-smokers was evaluated on Clinically significant (>= 50%) internal carotid stenosis (p=< .0001). Current cigarette smoking in older adults was associated with a higher prevalence of clinically significant internal carotid stenosis compared to never-smokers (9.5% vs 4.4%, P<0.0001).