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Smoking cessation after an acute coronary syndrome: immediate quitters are successful quitters

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<p>BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention guidelines stress the importance of smoking cessation and recommend intensive follow-up. To guide the development of such cessation support strategies, we analysed the characteristics that are associated with successful smoking cessation after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).</p><p>METHODS: We used data from the Randomised Evaluation of Secondary Prevention for ACS patients coordinated by Outpatient Nurse SpEcialists (RESPONSE) trial (n = 754). This was designed to quantify the impact of a nurse-coordinated prevention program, focusing on healthy lifestyles, traditional CVD risk factors and medication adherence. For the current analysis we included all smokers (324/754, 43 %). Successful quitters were defined as those who reported abstinence at 1 year of follow-up.</p><p>RESULTS: The majority of successful quitters quit immediately after the ACS event and remained abstinent through 1 year of follow-up, without extra support (128/156, 82 %). Higher education level (33 vs. 15 %, p &lt; 0.01), no history of CVD (87 vs. 74 %, p &lt; 0.01) and being on target for LDL-cholesterol level at 1 year (78 vs. 63 %, p &lt; 0.01) were associated with successful quitting.</p><p>CONCLUSION: The majority of successful quitters at 1 year stopped immediately after their ACS. Patients in this group showed that it was within their own ability to quit, and they did not relapse through 1 year of follow-up. Our study indicates that in a large group of patients who quit immediately after a life-threatening event, no relapse prevention program is needed.</p>

Reference Snaterse, M., Scholte op Reimer, W. J. M., Dobber, J., Minneboo, M., ter Riet, G., Jorstad, H. T., Boekholdt, S. M., & Peters, R. J. G. (2015). Smoking cessation after an acute coronary syndrome: immediate quitters are successful quitters. Netherlands Heart Journal , 23(12), 600-607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-015-0755-9
1 December 2015

Publication date

Dec 2015

Author(s)

M. Snaterse
W.J.M. Scholte Op Reimer
J. Dobber
M. Minneboo
G. ter Riet
H.T. Jorstad
S.M. Boekholdt
R.J.G. Peters
W.J.M. Scholte op Reimer

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