Register for New Study Finds Women Smokers with Heart Disease Suffer From Depression
Tobacco UseDecember 6, 2001
2001 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by C.W. Henderson, senior medical correspondent - Little research has been conducted on women smokers and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
But that is changing, as several new studies, including the largest ever describing smoking patterns of women hospitalized with CVD, were reported at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2001 meeting, Anaheim, California.
Erika Froelicher, professor in the School of Nursing and Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, presented findings from a clinical trial, "Women's Initiative for Non-Smoking," the largest study ever describing the smoking patterns of women hospitalized with CVD.
They concluded that the women were mostly older, Caucasian, and quite ill. They had smoked for many years, were highly addicted to tobacco, had few social and financial resources, and a large proportion of them were depressed.
Of the 277 women, researchers found "56.6% were depressed based on the Burnam Depression Screener."
"Important psychosocial factors need to be considered when planning smoking cessation interventions for women with [CVD]," it was reported during a news conference at the AHA meeting.
The study participant's mean score on the Stanford Dependency Index for tobacco was 14.1 on a scale of 6-25. Researchers said this indicates a high level of addiction.
On average, the women had started smoking around the age of 17, had been smoking for about 40 years, and smoked 20 cigarettes per day. The majority of them, 78%, had made one or two previous attempts to quit smoking.
"All were smokers who said they were willing to quit," the researcher reported.
In another study, a Froelicher team wanted to assess nicotine-replacement therapy as an adjunct to a behavioral smoking cessation program for women hospitalized with CVD.
The researchers discovered that nicotine replacement therapy is highly underused in women smokers with CVD.
"Many of the women declined because they were afraid of trading one addiction for another and becoming hooked on the nicotine replacement therapy," Froelicher reported.
The researchers concluded that education programs for nurses are necessary so they can help dispel the myths associated with nicotine replacement therapy and can also better teach its proper use and indications. This article was prepared by Women's Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
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