Smoking cessation has no influence on quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease 5 years post-vascular surgery.
OBJECTIVE
Smoking is an important modifiable risk factor in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We investigated differences in quality of life (QoL) between patients who quitted smoking during follow-up and persistent smokers.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Data of 711 consecutively enrolled patients undergoing vascular surgery were collected in 11 hospitals in the Netherlands. Smoking status was obtained at baseline and at 3-year follow-up. A 5-year follow-up to measure QoL was performed with the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and Peripheral Arterial Questionnaire (PAQ).


RESULTS
After adjusting for clinical risk factors, patients, who quit smoking within 3 years after vascular surgery, did not report an impaired QoL (EQ-5D: odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28-1.43; PAQ: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.35-1.65; visual analogue scale (VAS): OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.42-1.84) compared with patients, who continued smoking. Current smokers were significantly more likely to have an impaired QoL (EQ-5D: OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.09-3.17; PAQ: OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.00-2.65), although no differences in VAS scores were found (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.72-1.90).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no effect of smoking cessation on QoL in PAD patients undergoing vascular surgery. Nevertheless, given the link between smoking, complications and mortality in this patient group, smoking cessation should be a primary target in secondary prevention.
Hoogwegt
M T
MT
CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
Hoeks
S E
SE
Pedersen
S S
SS
Scholte op Reimer
W J M
WJ
van Gestel
Y R B M
YR
Verhagen
H J M
HJ
Poldermans
D
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects