title: Mortality in women and men in relation to smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mortality from smoking-related diseases in women is increasing worldwide. Studies comparing hazards associated with smoking in women and men based on a sufficient number of heavy smokers of both genders are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used pooled data from three prospective population studies conducted in Copenhagen to compare total and cause-specific mortality in relation to smoking habits. A total of 30917 subjects, 44% women, with initial examinations between 1964 and 1992 were followed until 1994 for date and cause of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow up, 2900 women and 5744 men died. Smoking characteristics differed considerably with gender, particularly in the older subjects. Overall mortality rates in smokers were approximately twice those in people who never smoked. Positive associations with smoking in both men and women were confirmed for all-cause mortality as well as mortality from respiratory disease, vascular disease, lung cancer, and other tobacco-related cancers. Despite large gender differences in age at smoking debut, total and cause-specific relative mortality in smokers was similar in men and women. After excluding non-inhalers, relative risks associated with smoking for respiratory and vascular disease were higher for women than men whereas there were no gender differences in smoking related risk of cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relative risks suggest that women may be more sensitive than men to some of the deleterious effects of smoking. However, because of lower baseline mortality rates in women, rate differences may be similar and results should be interpreted with caution.
authors.affiliation: The Copenhagen Center for Prospective Population Studies at the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen Hospital Corporation, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osler
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borch-Johnsen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnohr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vestbo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002423:Cause of Death; D003625:Data Collection; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate