Rapid resumption of cigarette smoking following myocardial infarction: inverse relation to MI severity

In order to identify factors associated with relapse to cigarette smoking, medical and interview data were collected from 66 chronic smokers hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (MI). Relapse to smoking during the in-hospital recovery period was prevalent (38% of patients). The major correlate of smoking relapse was MI severity, with relapse probability declining as MI severity increased; patients who relapsed to smoking during the recovery period had experienced less severe MIs, as indicated by their serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme levels and their requiring significantly shorter intensive-care treatment. Smoking relapse was not related to patients' smoking histories, their reported craving experiences, their reported health beliefs or demographic characteristics. The fact that relapse is most likely among patients with the best medical prognostic status suggests that the benefits of post-MI smoking cessation may have been underestimated in previous studies.