Peripheral Artery Disease in Female Smokers

Smoking in women increases the risk of PAD, or peripheral artery disease, which is a debilitating disorder. Women suffering from peripheral disease have narrowed arteries, mostly in their legs that can reduce blood flow causing infections and even amputations. PAD also gives way to other risks such as heart attack, coronary heart disease and strokes. 38,825 women were studied, and amongst these women the ones who smoked were 20 times more likely to develop this condition compared to women who were not smokers during a 13 year period. To reduce the risk of PAD, women had to quit smoking completely. Although those who had given up smoking nearly 20 years ago still had the risk of developing peripheral artery disease than non-smokers, according to researchers. Assistant professor of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Aruna D. Pradhan, said that smoking had been known as the cause for heart attacks and lung disease; however, our study now reveals that smoking is as strong a risk factor in developing PAD. Statistics of PAD in Women SmokersrnThe study began in 1993 with a group of women over the ages of 45 and none with cardiovascular disease. Half of the group had never smoked, 36% were former smokers, 8% puffed at 15 cigarettes per day, while 5% puffed on less than 15 cigarettes per day. At the end of the study, PAD was found in 178 women. The American Heart Association has said that peripheral artery disease affects nearly 8 million Americans. The risk of PAD became evident the more cigarettes that were consumed. Women who puffed on one pack of cigarettes per day in the last decade had a very high risk of succumbing to PAD. Researchers warned, however, that there was no threshold for smokers to keep themselves safe from this disease. These results didn’t change even after other factors which might affect PAD such as diabetes, high blood pressure and age were taken into consideration. The study went on to show that only 8% of women who never smoked developed the risk of acquiring PAD, women who quit two decades ago were 15% likely, women who quit more than 10 years ago were half as likely and women who quit between 10 and 20 years were a quarter as likely to have peripheral artery disease. The National Institutes of Health added that cigarette chemicals will damage one’s blood vessels and increase the buildup of plaque in arteries. This will greatly increase the risk of developing PAD. Pradhan went on to say that the results were surprising, because the effect of cigarette chemicals can be seen in an individual even 20 years later. The study included mainly white women, which means that these findings may not affect the entire population. Quitting smoking can dramatically reduce the risk of developing peripheral artery disease, but there is no guarantee of this. The risk of acquiring PAD still remains, even if a smoker quit 20 years ago. These statistics demonstrate the necessity of introducing prevention of smoking and establishing efforts to promote long term cessation.