Smoking More Than Doubles the Risk of Heart Disease in Black Adults

Black adults who are current smokers have more than double the risk of heart disease compared with those who have never smoked, according to new research.

Black adults are more likely to die from coronary heart disease compared with white adults, the researchers noted.

The new study included almost 4,500 Black adults without a history of heart disease when the study started, between 2000 and 2004. They were classified as current smokers, former smokers or never smokers. Participants were followed through 2016. The researchers found that, compared to those who never smoked, those who currently smoked had a more than two-fold higher risk of heart disease.

“Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and 73% of African American adults who smoke want to quit, ”David Goff, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, said in a news release. “However, compared to whites, African American patients are less likely to receive information about smoking cessation treatments that we know can make a difference. Fully addressing tobacco-related disparities requires addressing conditions where people live, work and play.”