Tobacco, deadly enemy to women's hearts?

Among the cardiovascular risk factors, smoking is certainly one whose prevalence has changed the most over the past three decades and became the dominant risk factor for premenopausal women, warned Professor Daniel Thomas (Institute Cardiology, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris), at a press conference in Paris, in the preamble of the XVth European Days of the French Society of Cardiology.
The first cigarette rod 11 years
"Attitude still marginal in France 30 years ago that smoking has become a woman, and often banal. Smoking It begins early in adolescence and persists more than men in adulthood. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of smokers older than 15 years decreased from 45% to 33% for men, while it increased from 17% to 21% among women and continues to increase in all age groups "reveals the specialist.

The survey conducted in 2003-2004 by the French Federation of Cardiology in a population of young people aged 10 to 15 years showed that 32% of boys and 29% of girls in this age group smoke, the average age of first cigarette is 11.4 years. Aged 18-19 years, 47.4% of boys and 48.6% of girls are regular smokers, according to the health barometer Inpes 2000. "So this is for women with severe and progressive epidemic, the consequences will be terrible in the coming years in the absence of specific prevention measures," said Dr. Thomas.

Multiple consequences
The young woman has long been considered not affected by cardiovascular risk. But the recent significant increase in smoking among women has changed this situation. "The relative protection related to hormonal status, it receives until menopause, do not put away the dangers of smoking. This is due to the fact that tobacco, in addition to its participation in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (responsible for a narrowing of the arteries), is mainly by promoting the formation of blood clots (thrombosis) and arterial spasm, especially in the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries), "says cardiologist.

According to him, such mechanisms justify the possibility of early accidents, including the lack of visible arterial lesions. "Moreover, he continues, tobacco causes a reduction in the rate of 'good' cholesterol (HDL), the relatively high effective in women before menopause is one of the elements of natural protection against the atherosclerosis ".

This effect of smoking, warns cardiologist occurs for relatively modest consumption, from 6 cigarettes per day. A study in adolescents 12 to 14 years shows that this deleterious effect may be already present in very young and it is more important for girls.

The risk of smoking among women vis-à-vis coronary disease was also demonstrated in a U.S. study in a population of 119,000 nurses aged 30 to 55 years with no signs of coronary heart disease when included.

"The number of cigarettes smoked was positively correlated with the risk of death from coronary heart disease (5.5 times more than 25 cigarettes per day), with the risk of myocardial infarction (5.8 times) and with the occurrence of angina pectoris (2.6 times). Even moderate consumption between 1 and 15 cigarettes per day were associated with an increased coronary risk. was also established in this study, a significant synergistic effect of the combination of smoking with other risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of coronary artery disease. A finally highlight the important risk of the combination pill and smoking must be strongly discouraged, "insists Dr. Thomas.