Current smoking linked to increase in CHD risk in African-Americans

(HealthDay)—Current smoking is associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in a cohort of African-Americans, according to a study published online March 23 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Adebamike A. Oshunbade, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, and colleagues examined the correlation between cigarette smoking and incident CHD and coronary artery calcification (CAC) among African-Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. Participants without a history of CHD (4,432 participants) were classified into current, former, or never smokers at baseline (2000 to 2004). Current smokers were further classified by smoking intensity (one to 19 or ≥20 per day) and were followed through 2016 for incident CHD.

There were 548, 782, and 3,102 current, former, and never smokers, respectively, at baseline. The researchers found that 254 participants developed CHD during follow-up (median, 13.8 years). CHD risk was significantly higher in current versus never smokers after risk factor adjustment (hazard ratio, 2.11; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.39 to 3.18); the difference between former and never smokers was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 1.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.0 to 1.90). There was no dose-response effect noted for CHD risk among current smokers. Compared with never smokers, current smokers had increased odds of a CAC score >0 (odds ratio, 2.63; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.88 to 3.68).

"Our study is the first to focus on the relationship between cigarette smoking and coronary heart disease exclusively among a large cohort of African Americans," Oshunbade said in a statement.

One author disclosed a grant from Samsung.