New research from the American Heart Association claims that even one cigarette a day could make you three times more likely to suffer from a brain haemorrhage than people who do not smoke. And that women are more likely than men to suffer from these brain bleeds.
Subarachnoid haemorrhages are when blood leaks into the brain tissue and they make up 3% of all recorded types of stroke in the US. The survey – which comes from results conducted in Finland, where 65,521 people were examined –also discovered that, despite the fact the risk increases with the amount of cigarettes smoked, social smoking is still a risky habit. Research showed that women who smoked 11-20 cigarettes a day were 3.89 times more at risk of internal bleeding, while men who consumed the same number of cigarettes were 2.13 times more likely to suffer from bleeding than non-smokers. Alarmingly, those percentages take a leap with females who smoke 21-30 cigarettes per day, 8.35 times more likely to suffer a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The research was led by Dr Joni Lindbohm of the University of Helsinki who suggested that, despite the findings, other factors like alcohol-consumption will also make certain individuals more likely to suffer from a stroke or bleeding. “Our results suggest that age, sex and lifestyle risk factors play a critical role in predicting which patients are at risk for subarachnoid haemorrhage and emphasise the importance of effective smoking cessation strategies.” 'There is no safe level of smoking, and naturally, the best option is never to start," said Lindbohm, adding: “Quitting smoking, however, can reduce the risk for subarachnoid haemorrhage in both sexes.” The study also showed that those who chose to quit would enjoy drastically improved health after six months and render themselves much less susceptible to illness. So next time you fancy a cheeky drag on a cigarette in the smoking area, maybe think twice.
Subarachnoid haemorrhages are when blood leaks into the brain tissue and they make up 3% of all recorded types of stroke in the US. The survey – which comes from results conducted in Finland, where 65,521 people were examined –also discovered that, despite the fact the risk increases with the amount of cigarettes smoked, social smoking is still a risky habit. Research showed that women who smoked 11-20 cigarettes a day were 3.89 times more at risk of internal bleeding, while men who consumed the same number of cigarettes were 2.13 times more likely to suffer from bleeding than non-smokers. Alarmingly, those percentages take a leap with females who smoke 21-30 cigarettes per day, 8.35 times more likely to suffer a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The research was led by Dr Joni Lindbohm of the University of Helsinki who suggested that, despite the findings, other factors like alcohol-consumption will also make certain individuals more likely to suffer from a stroke or bleeding. “Our results suggest that age, sex and lifestyle risk factors play a critical role in predicting which patients are at risk for subarachnoid haemorrhage and emphasise the importance of effective smoking cessation strategies.” 'There is no safe level of smoking, and naturally, the best option is never to start," said Lindbohm, adding: “Quitting smoking, however, can reduce the risk for subarachnoid haemorrhage in both sexes.” The study also showed that those who chose to quit would enjoy drastically improved health after six months and render themselves much less susceptible to illness. So next time you fancy a cheeky drag on a cigarette in the smoking area, maybe think twice.