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Smoking linked to poor outcomes after revascularization in patients with complex CAD
Cigarette smoking was associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including recurrent MI, stroke and death, in patients with complex CAD undergoing revascularization with CABG or PCI, according to 5-year follow-up data from the SYNTAX trial.
This finding conflicts with previous studies that indicated smokers who developed CAD may have neutral or better outcomes, also known as the “smoker’s paradox,” researchers wrote in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers analyzed data on smoking status and history collected at baseline, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years among participants of the SYNTAX trial (n = 1,793) who underwent CABG or PCI.
At baseline, 1 in 5 patients with complex CAD reported smoking. Of those, 60% stopped smoking after revascularization. Overall, 17.9% of patients had changes in smoking status during the 5-year follow-up.
According to the results, smoking at baseline did not influence death/MI/stroke or major adverse CV and cerebrovascular events at 5-year follow-up. However, when smoking was considered a time-dependent variable, smoking increased the risk for death/MI/stroke (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02-1.86) and major adverse cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events (HR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.01-1.61) at follow-up. Baseline smoking status was associated with increased risk for MI, specifically. During follow-up, the effect of smoking as a time-dependent covariate was predominantly on subsequent MI (adjusted HR = 2.08; 95% CI, 1.3-3.32).
“The interaction P values for these outcomes between CABG and PCI arms were not significant, suggesting smoking was associated with poor outcomes independent of revascularization strategy,” the researchers wrote.
During follow-up, 98 patients reported always smoking and 1,374 reported never smoking. Risk for MI and stent thrombosis/graft occlusion was significantly higher among always smokers, but this group did not have increased risk for all-cause revascularization, compared with never smokers.
Additionally, smoking was identified as an independent predictor of death/MI/stroke (HR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.5) and major adverse cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events (HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7). In subgroup analyses, smoking independent predicted poor outcomes in patients who underwent CABG (HR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.02-2.25) and PCI (HR = 1.26; 95% CI, 0.9-1.75).
“Smoking is associated with poor outcomes after coronary revascularization with PCI or CABG. This message needs to be disseminated to patients, primary and secondary care physicians, and the general population. It is important to inquire about smoking status at each clinical encounter, and appropriate advice should be offered to help patients to stop smoking. Dedicated smoking-cessation programs may help patients achieve smoking cessation. … Primary care and community based physicians and nurses may play an important role improving smoking-cessation rates,” the researchers wrote. – by Stephanie Viguers
Disclosure: One researcher reports receiving research grant support from Boston Scientific. The other researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.