Tobacco in whatever form harms the heart

Tobacco in whatever form harms the heart: "18 Aug, (foodconsumer.org) - Tobacco usage in whatever form is harmful to the heart and significantly increases the risk of heart attack, according to a large international study. The finding held true regardless of whether tobacco was smoked or chewed either firsthand or secondhand, the Canadian researchers confirmed.

Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario found that any form of tobacco increased the risk of heart attack. For example in heavy smokers the risk of heart attack tripled as compared to non-smokers. In light smokers, who smoked 8-10 cigarettes a day, the risk of heart attack doubled.

The study published in the Aug. 19 issue of The Lancet, involved data from more than 27,000 people in 52 countries. The researchers took into consideration lifestyle factors like diet and age. Not surprisingly the researchers found that the risk of heart attack decreased with time after a person stopped smoking.

In light smokers the risk of heart attack dropped to normal levels in 3 to 5 years after they quit smoking, but in moderate to heavy smokers, there was a 22 percent risk of heart attack even two decades after they quit the habit.

The study by professors Salim Yusuf and Koon Teo of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton calculated the risk of heart attack for various forms of tobacco use among the global population."