Women who smoke, even those who smoke moderately, have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death than non-smokers. These are the results of a study published in the journalCirculation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology. On the other hand, these effects are not irreversible:if the habit is stopped, the risk decreases again.
The researchers, from Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), followed a 30-year follow-up of more than 100,000 women. The results revealed that those with a mild to moderate habit – between 1 and 14 cigarettes a day – hadalmost doublemore likely to suffer sudden cardiac death than nonsmokers. For women who smoked more than 14 cigarettes, the risk was even higher.
On the other hand, the authors found that quitting tobacco significantly reduces risk. In fact, for a woman who has quit smoking 20 years ago, the level of risk is the same as for those who have never smoked. In addition, according to a study published inThe Lancet, women who quit tobacco before the age of thirty increase their life expectancy by ten years.
