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The association between cigarette smoking and abdominal aortic aneurysms
T B Wilmink1, C R Quick, N E Day
1Department of Surgery, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Journal of Vascular Surgery
|December 10, 1999
Summary
Smoking duration, not intensity, significantly increases abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) risk in men over 50. Even after quitting, the risk of developing an AAA declines slowly, indicating smoking is an initiating factor.
Area of Science:
- Vascular surgery
- Epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening condition.
- Smoking is a known risk factor for AAA, but the precise impact of smoking duration and cessation requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific effects of smoking, smoking duration, and smoking cessation on the risk of developing abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study was conducted within a population-based screening program for men aged over 50.
- Smoking data were collected via questionnaires, and serum cotinine levels were used to objectively measure nicotine exposure.
Main Results:
- Current smokers had a 7.6-fold increased risk of AAA compared to nonsmokers.
- Ex-smokers had a 3.0-fold increased risk, and each year of smoking increased AAA risk by 4%.
- The risk of AAA was associated with duration of smoking rather than the amount smoked, with a slow risk decline after cessation.
Conclusions:
- Smoking duration, not nicotine level, is the primary determinant of AAA risk in men over 50.
- The persistent risk after cessation and higher risk for smaller aneurysms suggest smoking initiates AAA development.