Smoking Costs in
PAD: An Economic
Drag
Tobacco use in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) may lead to
a very large increase in PAD-related
hospitalizations and a 30% increase
in annual health costs, according to a
study in the special Population Health
Promotion issue of JACC.
Cigarette smoking is a known risk
factor for PAD and individuals with
PAD who continue to use tobacco also
experience worsened leg ischemic
symptoms, a higher incidence of
critical limb ischemia, early failure
of all revascularization therapies, a
higher risk of amputation and higher
short-term rates of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and death.
Tobacco users with PAD also experience a lower quality of life and poorer
exercises capacity than nonusers
with PAD. Users who quit have far
higher survival rates than those who
continue to use tobacco. The health
effect asso