Mentholated cigarettes and risk of acute MI, CHD, and stroke
Abstracts
Initial Award Abstract |
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It is well know that cigarette smoking increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes, the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. The purpose of this study is to determine whether mentholated cigarette smokers have a higher risk than smokers of nonmentholated cigarettes for heart attacks and strokes. Some studies have shown that adding menthol to cigarettes may increase the amounts of unhealthy chemicals, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, to which a smoker is exposed. This might result in higher rates of smoking-related diseases including heart attacks and strokes. To conduct this study, we will link information gathered about the smoking habits of more than 80,000 Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program members from 1979 through 1985 with computerized information through 2001 about hospitalizations and deaths from heart attacks and stroke.
The results of this study will increase knowledge about whether mentholated cigarette smoking is more dangerous to health than smoking of nonmentholated cigarettes, and may be useful for public health interventions. |
