[Cardiovascular consequences of smoking : Imaging overview]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Radiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Smoking is a primary cause of cardiovascular disease, leading to atheromatous plaques, vascular stenosis, and aneurysms.
• It affects the entire cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of vascular rupture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if current guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention and diagnosis need modification for smokers.
• To determine if smokers benefit from earlier diagnostic imaging based on their smoking status.

Main Methods:

• Sonography, angiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used for cardiovascular assessment.
• Guidelines acknowledge smoking as a modifiable risk factor, recommending cessation as a primary preventive measure.

Main Results:

• Smoking increases the clinical probability of chronic coronary syndrome, often indicating earlier diagnostic imaging.
• While not fundamentally altering imaging evaluation for specific diseases, earlier imaging may be beneficial for smokers with intermediate cardiovascular risk.

Conclusions:

• Smokers have an increased cardiovascular risk and should be advised to quit smoking.
• Current imaging guidelines are largely applicable, but earlier diagnostic imaging is recommended for smokers with intermediate risk profiles.