Heart Disease Risk Greater For Female Smokers

Women who smoke have an increased risk of developing heart disease compared to men, a new study has found.

The US study, which was published in the Lancet, found that women smokers had a 25% higher risk of developing heart disease than men.

The study analysed 86 previous studies involving a total of more than four million people.

Researchers admitted that the reasons for the increased risk are "unclear", but suggest that biological differences between the sexes may be the cause.

The report's author Dr Rachel Huxley, from the University of Minnesota and Dr Mark Woodward from John Hopkins University, of Maryland, said: "Women might extract a greater quantity of carcinogens and other toxic agents from the same number of cigarettes than men. This occurrence could explain why women who smoke have double the risk of lung cancer compared with their male counterparts. Physicians and health professionals should be encouraged to increase their efforts at promotion of smoking cessation in all individuals. Present trends in female smoking, and this report, suggest that inclusions of a female perspective in tobacco-control policies is crucial."

Ellen Mason, a Senior Cardiac Nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said: "It's alarming to see such a large study confirm that women are so much more at risk of heart disease from smoking than men. Despite women generally smoking fewer cigarettes a day than men, women appear to be substantially more at risk of getting heart disease. Biologically, women seem more susceptible to the dangers of smoking and passive smoking.

"There is free support widely available on the NHS to help both men and women quit but more effort needs to be made to encourage women not to smoke in the first place - particularly the many young women who take up this addictive and harmful habit every day.

"This is very timely research as tobacco companies are increasingly targeting women with slim brands and slick packaging. Introducing plain packaging would help to increase the effectiveness of health warnings and reduce the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products."

In the UK, 21% of women and 22% of men smoke cigarettes.

(KMcA/GK)