Stroke risk increases with smoking

The risk of stroke among women smokers is well known. But the risk is even higher for women whose husbands also smoke.Researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark found that while passive exposure to cigarette smoke is known to increase the risk of heart disease, its effect on stroke has not been evaluated.To further investigate the potential relationship, the researchers followed 5,379 women enrolled in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. The researchers examined information on risk factors collected during a first visit between 1982 and 1984, and then followed the women for the next 10 years.

Among women who smoked, the risk of having any type of stroke was increased by six-fold if their husbands also smoked. The increased risk of having a stroke cause by a blocked blood vessel in the brain - as opposed to stroke cause by bleeding in the brain - was increased by nearly five-fold.The investigators observed no association between spousal smoking and stroke risk among women who did not smoke.

The smoking spouse may be more likely to quit during follow-up if their wives do not smoke, or they may make efforts to not smoke in close proximity to their wives.
The findings suggest that if physicians have to make a real impact on reducing stroke risk among their patients, they should not only address their patients' smoking habits but also those of their spouses or partners.