[ad_1]
Press release
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
New research has revealed that African-Americans who smoke appear to be at higher risk of developing peripheral artery disease or MAP. In addition, the results suggest that the intensity of smoking – how many cigarettes a day and for how many years – also affects the likelihood of contracting the disease.
MAP affects 8 to 12 million people in the United States and 202 million worldwide, especially those aged 50 and over. It develops when the arteries of the legs become clogged with plaque, fatty deposits that limit blood flow in the legs. Clogged arteries in the legs can cause symptoms such as claudication, pain due to too little blood flow and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
The impact of smoking on PADs has been underestimated among African Americans, although PADs are almost three times more prevalent among African Americans than among whites. This study examined the relationship between smoking and MAP among participants in the Jackson Heart Study, the largest single-site cohort study of cardiovascular disease among African Americans.
The new research, along with the Jackson Heart Study, is funded by the National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood (NHLBI) and by the National Institute of Health Minorities and Health Disparities ( NIMHD), both of which are part of the National Institutes of Health. . The new findings appear in the January issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
"These results demonstrate that smoking is badociated with MAP in a dose-dependent manner," said lead researcher Donald Clark, III, MD, an badistant professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. "This is especially important in the African-American community and supports the evaluation of smoking cessation efforts aimed at reducing the impact of PAD on this population."
Although the prevalence of APP is more prevalent among African-Americans than among whites, previous studies on the disease did not include a significant number of African-Americans. This limited the ability of researchers to distinguish the specific effects of smoking in this population from other risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity.
For the study, the researchers divided the 5,258 participants into smokers, previous smokers and non-smokers. After taking into account other risk factors, they badessed the intensity of smoking and found a dose-dependent relationship between smoking and MAP. Those who smoked more than one pack a day had a significantly higher risk than those who smoked less than 19 cigarettes a day. Similarly, people who had been smoking for a long time had an increased likelihood of contracting the disease.
"Current and past smokers had a higher risk of peripheral arterial disease than ever smokers; although the odds are lower among past smokers, "said Clark. "Our findings add to the mountain of evidence of the negative effects of smoking and highlight the importance of smoking cessation, as well as the prevention of smoking initiation."
Clark has noted important caveats. Despite strong badociations between smoking and DPA, for example, the results do not establish a causal link; nor can they be generalized to people of African descent from other regions or countries, since the Jackson Heart study was conducted in a single African-American community.
About the National Institute of Heart, Lungs and Blood (NHLBI): NHLBI is the world leader in leading and supporting research on heart, lung and blood diseases and sleep disorders that advances scientific knowledge, improves public health and saves lives. For more information, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
The NIH, the country's medical research agency, comprises 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the lead federal agency that leads and supports basic, clinical and translational medical research. She studies causes, treatments and treatments for common and rare diseases. For more information on NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH … transforming discovery into health®
###
Source link
