Risks of Smoking

Question: As a woman, I used to think I had protection against a heart attack even though I’ve been a chain-smoker for a number of years. Now I’m not as certain of that anymore. I realize it would be best to stop smoking. But if that’s not possible, would it help to switch to one of these newer brands of low-yield cigarettes?

Answer: Switching to low-yield cigarettes does not appear to have any advantage in terms of avoiding a non-fatal heart attack. The results of one large-scale study show that the relative risk of a non-fatal heart attack was similar in women who smoked, regardless of the nicotine level of the cigarettes. The relative risk was significantly lower in women who had never smoked and who had stopped smoking.