Association Between Smoking and Stroke: A Retrospective Study Using the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance...

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and death worldwide, often resulting from disrupted blood flow to the brain. Smoking is a well-established risk factor that significantly increases the likelihood of stroke by damaging blood vessels and promoting clot formation. Aim and objective: This study aimed to assess the association between smoking status and self-reported stroke, considering demographic and socioeconomic factors.

This retrospective study was conducted using the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to assess the relationship between smoking and self-reported stroke. Demographic (age, gender, and race) and socioeconomic (education and income) factors were included as controls. Data were analyzed using cross-tabulations, with results reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

This study indicates that smokers are 1.71 times more likely to experience a stroke compared to non-smokers (95% CI: 1.6498-1.7839). Among individuals aged 18-24, smokers have a 5.2-fold higher risk of stroke than non-smokers in the same age group. Female smokers are 2.8 times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to their non-smoking counterparts. When analyzed by race, Hispanic smokers show a higher risk of stroke than Hispanic non-smokers. Additionally, smokers with advanced education levels are more prone to strokes than equally educated non-smokers. Those earning less than $50,000 annually also face a greater stroke risk if they smoke, compared to non-smokers within the same income bracket.

Smoking is significantly associated with increased risk of stroke, especially among young adults, women, Hispanic race, the highly educated, and those with lower income. These results underscore the need for targeted stroke prevention efforts among high-risk smoking populations.