Smoking cessation in women with cardiac risk

This article summarizes what is known about smoking among women, in particular the consequences of smoking on women's cardiac health. Smoking is recognized as a major independent cause of coronary heart disease, a condition that ranks first among the causes of death for middle-aged and older women. Women who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk of heart disease and other smoking-related illnesses. Research since the 1980 report of the US Surgeon General has been inconsistent in finding differences by gender in smoking cessation, and few approaches have been devised specifically for women. Several factors are of unique concern among women and potential, barriers to smoking cessation, including weight concerns, negative affect regulation, and hormonal influences. More research is needed to determine whether these factors, when targeted specifically, improve cessation success rates among women.