Smoking ban in public places and myocardial infarction hospitalizations in high cardiovascular risk European country – insights from the Polish nationwide AMI-PL database

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies demonstrated a possible positive effect of a smoking ban in public places on cardiovascular outcomes. However, little is known about the influence of such regulations in Poland, a country with a high cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the association of hospitalization rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Poland before and after the introduction of the smoking ban in public places in November 2010. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Nationwide Acute Myocardial Infarction Database (AMI‑PL) was searched for the cases of AMI that occurred between 2009 and 2014. The analysis considered sex, age (20-64 years vs 65 years or older), and the place of residence (rural vs urban area). There were no specific exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The overall average number of AMI hospitalizations in the years 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2013-2014 was 79 323, 80 783, and 77 356, respectively. Age‑standardized rates of AMI hospitalizations in both sexes and age groups decreased only slightly in the first 2 years and were more visible in the years following the implementation of the smoking ban. In men, the decrease was observed in both age groups and almost in the whole country. In younger women, the decrease was not observed in towns with more than 100 000 inhabitants. In large towns (over 500 000 inhabitants), mostly a nonsignificant decrease occurred. CONCLUSIONS: After the introduction of the smoking ban, a marked decrease in age‑standardized AMI hospitalizations was observed in long‑term follow‑up both in men and women as well as both in younger and older patients, but with differences regarding the place of residence.