Smoking a Major Contributor to Stroke Risk, Study Finds
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In a recent study published in BMC Public Health, researchers assessed the impact of smoking on the prevalence of stroke. They explored the relationship between smoking-related factors and stroke risk, while also analyzing how demographic differences might affect this association.
Stroke results in significant illness and death globally and can be classified as either ischemic or hemorrhagic, arising from damage to the brain's blood vessels and tissues. The risk of stroke is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis.
Elevated smoking rates, familial smoking habits, and high levels of harmful tobacco components such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar all increase the risk of stroke.
These factors reflect both the level of exposure to smoking and the frequency of smoking, as well as the potential harm inflicted by inhaled smoke.
The analysis involved data from 9,176 adults who participated in the 2003–2018 study period. The researchers compared clinical variables with smoking-related factors, including the duration of smoking and the levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar.
The study result revealed that tobacco, which is primarily composed of nicotine, poses severe health risks, particularly to cardiovascular tissues. Nicotine activates neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), leading to the release of noradrenaline and adrenaline. This increases blood pressure and heart rate, thereby heightening the risk of stroke.
Additionally, nicotine enhances blood viscosity, which further increases the likelihood of thrombosis. Smoking generates carbon monoxide, which reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity, leading to hypoxia in various tissues and organs, especially the brain.
The combustion of tobacco produces tar, a complex mixture of harmful substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and free radicals. These compounds contribute to stroke risk by damaging vascular endothelial cells, reducing nitric oxide production, and increasing oxidative stress.
Reference: Wang, Y., Ge, Y., Yan, W. et al. (2024) From smoke to stroke: quantifying the impact of smoking on stroke prevalence. BMC Public Health 24, 2301. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19754-6. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-19754-6
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