Smoking, smoking cessation, and risk of cardiovascular disease

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of atherothrombotic clinical events such as myocardial infarction and the effect is dose dependent for persons who continue to smoke. Reductions in smoking habit and smoking cessation are important ways to improve cardiovascular risk and favorably affect primary and secondary prevention of clinical disease. Therapeutic methods to improve smoking reduction and cessation include nicotine replacement, behavioral interventions, and medications (bupropion, clonidine). Improved cessation rates are under active study and include behavioral methods, targeting smokers immediately after myocardial infarction, consideration of depression in smokers, pharmacogenomics to identify persons who may respond more favorably to specific interventions, and newer medications that affect endocannabinoid receptors.