Cohort study: Smoking, surgery, and venous thromboembolism risk in women

Source: Circulation Area: News Evidence about the effect of smoking on venous thromboembolism risk, generally and in the post-operative period, is limited and inconsistent. A large prospective study of UK women sought to examine the incidence of venous thromboembolism in relation to smoking habits, both in the absence of surgery and in the first 12 post-operative weeks.   The authors followed-up 1,162,718 women, mean age 56 years, for 6 years and reported the following results:   . 4630 women were admitted to hospital for, or died from, venous thromboembolism. . In the absence of surgery, current smokers had a significantly increased incidence of venous thromboembolism compared to never smokers (adjusted relative risk [RR]=1.38 [95% confidence interval 1.28-1.48]), with significantly greater risks in heavier than lighter smokers (RRs 1.47 [1.34-1.62] and 1.29 [1.17-1.42] for 15+ versus <15 cigarettes/day). . Among women who had surgery, the incidence of venous ...
Source: NeLM - Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Source Type: news