TOPLINE:

About half of active smokers reported to have quit smoking within 1 year after an acute myocardial infarction (MI), with participation in cardiac rehabilitation and longer hospital stays independently associated with smoking cessation, according to a recently published rapid communication.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers in Switzerland conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate what proportion of patients quit smoking within a year after an acute MI and which factors predicted quitting.
• They used registry data and included 1691 active smokers hospitalised with an acute MI between 2012 and 2022. Active smoking at index acute MI was defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime and currently smoking.
• The primary outcome was the cessation of smoking reported by the patients in telephone interviews, over a median follow-up duration of 395 days.
• Researchers compared patients who quit smoking after the index acute MI and those who continued smoking to identify predictors of cessation after adjusting for confounders.

TAKEAWAY:

• During follow-up, 861 (50.9%) patients reported to have quit smoking.
• Longer hospital stays and participation in cardiac rehabilitation were independently associated with smoking cessation (P < .05 for both). A history of acute MI, peripheral vascular disease, and antidepressant use at discharge predicted continued smoking (P < .05 for all).
• Patients who quit smoking more often reported changing their diet and being more physically active than those who continued smoking (P < .001 for both), but reported stress did not differ between the two groups; 44% of those who quit smoking reported weight gain (P < .001).
• Patients who quit smoking were more often males, younger, and more likely to present with ST-elevation MI than those who continued smoking but had fewer comorbidities including previous acute MI, peripheral vascular disease, lung disease, and diabetes.

IN PRACTICE:

"This study also underscores the significance of increased contact with health-care providers and participation in CR [cardiac rehabilitation]. These measures, together with comprehensive post-discharge guidance, may optimize secondary prevention and reduce the burden of smoking AMI [acute MI] patients in Switzerland," the researchers of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Jan Loosli, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland. It was published online on January 21, 2026, as a rapid communication in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

LIMITATIONS:

The cohort may not have represented all Swiss patients with an acute MI because hospital participation was voluntary. Other unmeasured confounding factors may have affected quitting outcomes. Smoking status was self-reported by phone without biochemical tests; thus, some people may have overstated quitting.

DISCLOSURES:

The source registry received funding through unrestricted grants from multiple sources, including Abbott Medical AG, Medtronic AG, and Novartis Pharma AG. One author reported receiving research grants, award funds, and support for attending meetings and having other financial ties with several organisations, including the University of Zurich Foundation, Swiss Heart Foundation, and European Society of Cardiology.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.