A year after smokers kick the habit, their arteries will show signs of being healthier, even if the smokers have gained weight while trying to quit.
The study found that smokers who successfully quit showed signs that arthrosclerosis had been reversed. Their levels of HDL "good" cholesterol improved, too – both good signs that a couple of the key risk factors for heart disease had been reduced.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and presented at the group's annual conference this week, involved 1,500 smokers who had smoked an average of 21 cigarettes a day.
The smokers were given one of five smoking cessation aids to help them quit, such as nicotine patches, or the drug bupropion, which is sold as Wellbutrin and Zyban.
After one year, 36 per cent had quit, though it made no difference which method they used.
The researchers, led by Dr. James Stein, a University of Wisconsin-Madison cardiologist, analyzed the smokers' health before and a year after quitting using a measurement called flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery. Using a tight arm band, they stopped blood flow in the forearm for a few minutes then, using ultrasound, they measured how major arteries in the arm responded when the flow was restored.
The test is thought to be a good measure of vascular health because smoking is known to cause the linings of blood vessels to harden, which can lead to heart disease.
The researchers found that artery function improved 1 per cent in those who had quit for a year, but did not change at all in those who continued to smoke. While that might not sound like much, research shows that translates to a 14 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease, Stein told The Canadian Press.
Doctors say the improvement came even though people who kicked the habit gained an average of nine pounds, or four kilograms.
Stein said researchers now want to know if artery function continues to improve the longer that former smokers stay smoke-free. The study is continuing another two years in an effort to give an answer.
Medications for the study were provided by GlaxoSmithKline. U.S. government grants funded other parts of the study.
