Smoking Flashcards
How is smoking related to heart disease?
Smoking is the best risk factor to eliminate for prevention of death related to heart disease; it is responsible for 30-45% of such deaths in the U.S.
What cancers are more likely in smokers?
Smoking increases the risk for cancers of the lung (85-90% of cases), oral cavity (90% of cases), esophagus (70-80% of cases), larynx, pharynx, bladder (30-50% of cases), kidney (20-30%), pancreas (20-25%), cervix, stomach, colon, and rectum.
Describe the effects of smoking on the lung.
Lung cancer and COPD (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis) are due to smoking. Emphysema almost always results from smoking; if the patient is very young or has no smoking history, consider alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. Although the changes of emphysema are irreversible, the risk of death still decreases if the patient stops smoking.
Describe the risks of second-hand smoke
Second-hand smoke has been proven to be a risk factor for lung cancer and other lung disease. The risk increases linearly with increasing exposure. When parents smoke, their exposed children are at increased risk for asthma and URI, including otitis media.
Smoking by pregnant women increases the risk of what?
Low birth weight, prematurity, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and infant mortality.
What is the best way to decrease postoperative pulmonary complications?
Cessation of smoking at least 8 weeks before surgery.
True or false: Women who smoke cannot take birth control pills.
True - If a woman is over the age of 35 years and smokes or is younger than 35 and smokes 15 or more cigarettes per day. The risk of thromboembolism is increased sharply in women who smoke and take birth control pills. Postmenopausal women, however, can take estrogen therapy regardless of smoking status.
How much does the risk of heart disease decrease within 1 year of quitting smoking?
50%
15 years after quitting smoking, what is the risk of heart disease for the patient?
The same as someone who never smoked
