According to data from Italy, banning public smoking not only affects lung cancer but heart disease as well. The European Heart Journal reported in October of 2006 that hospital admissions for heart attack and related conditions declined significantly in several regions in Italy after a public ban on smoking cigarettes was put into effect.
Cigarette smoking is harmful to one's health for a variety of reasons. It is high in carcinogenic compounds that increase the risk of developing numerous types of cancers. The smoke also damages the delicate tissue in the lungs causing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders such as emphysema and bronchitis.
Cigarette smoking also causes an increase in oxidative stress in the body via the production of free radicals. These free radicals can damage organs, especially the lining of blood vessels. This damage contributes to the development of heart disease, namely coronary artery disease. Damaged blood vessels increase the likelihood that a person will experience a stroke or heart atttack.
The ban on public smoking (indoors) took effect in January of 2005. To determine if any effect on hospital admissions was related to the smoking ban researchers compared data on hospital admissions between several different time periods.
First they compared all hospital admsissions between October and December 2004 with rates the same months before and after the smoking ban.
Overall, hospital admissions for heart attacks declined by 11 percent in those under the age of 60. For those over the age of 60 there was no significant change.
The researchers support this finding with the arguement that most heart attacks in those over 60 years of age may be due to other factors, with smoking playing less a role. While younger individuals may have heart attacks due to smoking more than other factors.
Prior to the ban, from 2001 to 2004 the admission rate for heart attacks was on the rise, so the authors feel that the results from this are opposite the trend, and therefore more weight is given to the smoking ban as a primary cause for the decrease in hopsital admission.
These effects are observed after only a short period of time (less than one year) and many are anxious to see what the long term effects of the smoking ban are on heart attack rates and other health conditions that are made worse or caused by smoking.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on December 27, 2006 10:38 PM
