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(September 17, 2008)

Smoke and stroke


From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Smoking raises a younger woman’s risk of stroke, and smoking more raises it sharply.

John Cole of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore found that in data on female stroke patients ages 15 through 49. He compared them to people of similar ages and backgrounds who had not had a stroke.

``One to 10 cigarettes per day increased risk 2.2 times, and 40 or more cigarettes, 9.1 times the increased risk.’’ (8 seconds)

Women in the middle on that range had increased risk, and curving upward with the number of cigarettes.

Former smokers had no more risk of stroke than women who never smoked. So Cole says smokers should quit, and nonsmokers should never start.

The study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 17 2008