Adherence
Smoking cessation in elderly patients who have suffered a stroke or acute myocardial infarction significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, with risk levels approaching those of non-smokers after approximately 3 years.
If you smoke, quitting is the single most effective step you can take to protect your heart, especially after a heart attack or stroke. You do not need to wait until you are 'ready'; the benefits start immediately and your risk of another event drops to the level of a non-smoker within three years. Seek support to quit, as the cardiovascular payoff is substantial and time-bound.
In the case of elderly patients who smoke and who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction, smoking cessation reduces the risk of the recurrence of cardiac events, so that approximately 3 years after quitting smoking, the risk of potentially fatal vascular events is equal to that of non-smoking patients [91].
Why this rating
Based on a review citing observational data and specific studies on elderly cohorts; not a primary RCT.
Source
Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Physical Activity for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly
Lorena Ciumărnean et al. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2021
DOI 10.3390/ijerph19010207
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