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World No Tobacco Day: 31 May

Announcement posted by Heart Research Australia 28 May 2014

DON’T LET A HEART ATTACK BE YOUR REASON TO QUIT

Smoking kills more than 40 Australians a day, of which nearly 40% of deaths from smoking are due to cardiovascular disease. World No Tobacco Day takes place each year on 31 May, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, and Heart Research Australia not only supports World No Tobacco Day, but also funds the Heart Research Australia’s Chair of Preventative Cardiology’s Professor Geoffrey Tofler’s research into smoking cessation. A recent study conducted by Professor Tofler and colleagues involved 116 patients with suspected heart attacks, exploring why smokers find it easier to stop smoking after a teachable moment such as a heart attack, even though they were unable to do so previously. 

Prof Geoffrey Tofler, cardiologist and lead author of the study which was published in the Journal of Smoking Cessation, said “Almost two thirds (65%) of the 116 patients (84 men and 32 women) who were hospitalised at Royal North Shore and North Shore Private Hospitals were able to stop smoking after the heart attack, and this was well maintained for one year (61%). The impact of the heart attack was stronger than when the patients only had angina, and their quitting was also more likely to occur if the patient was living with a non-smoker.”

Prof Roger Bartrop, psychiatrist and study investigator, stated that the strongest motivator for quitting was the heart attack and its consequences, supported by the importance of the personalized impact of the heart attack.  Registered Nurses Ann Kirkness and Helen Glinatsis, also noted that the initial quit rate was greater among those who attended cardiac rehabilitation. 

The researchers have extended this idea of the heart attack as a teachable moment, by producing a simulated, personalized video, whereby a smoker without heart disease can view himself or herself having a heart attack and see the consequences it has on their loved ones. This novel approach to behaviour change which uses simulated videos to assist with smoking cessation in people without heart trouble is being explored in a larger randomised trial, which is currently recruiting smokers to assist in their research. Anyone interested in participating can contact Robin May on Tel: 02 9462 9177.

“Tobacco smoking is the single most preventable cause of ill health and death in Australia. It contributes to more hospitalisations and deaths each year than alcohol and illicit drug use combined. Heart Research Australia is dedicated to continue its funding of the detection and prevention of heart disease, through life-saving research such as Professor Tofler’s study, which aims to provide a clearer pathway to encourage people to quit this dangerous habit before it’s too late”, Floyd Larsen, CEO Heart Research Australia.

Visit www.heartresearch.com.au for further heart saving information and advice.

ENDS.

 

For further information or to schedule an interview, contact Michelle Kearney, Communications Manager, Heart Research Australia at michelle@heartresearch.com.au or Tel: (02) 9436 0056

Should an acronym be essential due to space constraints, kindly use “HROz” when referring to the organisation.

About Heart Research Australia – www.heartresearch.com.au
Heart Research Australia raises funds for research into the diagnoses, treatment and prevention of Australia’s biggest killer – heart disease. Our goal is to reduce the devastating impact of the disease on the community.