In a brief released one week to World Heart Day on 29 September, the WHO said 1.9 million people die from tobacco-induced heart disease every year.
“This equates to one in five of all deaths from heart disease..We urge all tobacco users to quit and avoid a heart attack”, said the report written by the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation and the University of Newcastle Australia.
“Smokers are more likely to experience an acute cardiovascular event at a younger age than non-smokers”, the report stressed.
“Just a few cigarettes a day, occasional smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increase the risk of heart disease. But if tobacco users take immediate action and quit, then their risk of heart disease will decrease by 50% after one year of not smoking.
“Given the current level of evidence on tobacco and cardiovascular health and the health benefits of quitting smoking, failing to offer cessation services to patients with heart disease could be considered clinical malpractice or negligence.
“Cardiology societies should train their members in
smoking cessation, as well as to promote and even drive tobacco control
advocacy efforts,” said Dr Eduardo Bianco, Chair of the World Heart
Federation Tobacco Expert Group.
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