The Effects of Tobacco Smoking Status on the Short-term Outcomes of Patient’s Post-acute Myocardial Infarction: A Longitudinal Study

 Although cigarette smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), smoking cessation has considerable effects on the reduction of mortality and incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study was done to examine the effect of tobacco smoking status and its short-term outcomes after AMI.

 In this longitudinal study, 96 patients smoking tobacco products (cigarette and waterpipe) within the age range of 30-70 years who had undergone angiography following the first AMI were evaluated. The patients were evaluated at three time points in terms of tobacco smoking status, additional myocardial infarction (MI), hospitalization due to cardiac events, and some other variables. Data collection was done using a checklist and phone calls.

 The mean age of the patients was 52.99±9.2 years. Six months following the first MI, more than 60% of the patients had ceased their tobacco smoking, but over time and at the end of the study, this value diminished, especially in waterpipe smokers. The chance of hospitalization among the men younger than 54 years who were not smokers at the baseline was 0.801. On the other hand, this chance for men below 54 years who smoked 1-10 cigarettes per day was 4.75 times higher (OR=4.747, P=0.002). In addition, men younger than 54 years who smoked waterpipe twice or more per day were hospitalized 31 times more frequently compared to the men who did not smoke waterpipe (P=0.001, OR=31.112).

 Not smoking cigarettes or waterpipe over time would considerably reduce the chance of hospitalization due to CVD.