title: Smoking cessation 1 year poststroke and damage to the insular cortex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospitalization as a result of stroke provides an opportunity to stop smoking that is often not taken up. The present study analyzes sociodemographic, psychological, and lesion-related variables to identify associated factors for smoking cessation during the first year after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective longitudinal study with a 1-year follow-up of a cohort of 110 patients with acute stroke who were smokers at the time of diagnosis and were admitted consecutively between January 2005 and July 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On hospital release, 69.1% had given up smoking but at 1 year, only 40% had stopped smoking. Of the 110 patients, 27 (24.5%) had an acute stroke lesion in the insular cortex, of which 19 (70.3%) were nonsmokers at 1 year. Strongly associated factors in giving up smoking were the location of the lesion in the insular cortex (OR, 5.42; 95% CI, 1.95-15.01; P=0.001) and having the intention of giving up before the stroke, comparing precontemplating patients (without intention of giving up in the near future) with contemplating and prepared patients (intention of stopping in the near future; OR, 7.29; 95% CI, 1.89-28.07; P=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of patients with stroke who were smokers, only 4 of 10 patients had stopped smoking 1 year after admission. Our results show that the variables best predicting smoking cessation in patients with a stroke diagnosis 1 year after hospital discharge are insular damage and the prestroke intention to stop.
authors: Department of Psychology, Quality of Life Research Institute, Girona University, Girona, Spain. rosa.sunyer@udg.edu
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Suñer-Soler
authors: Armando
authors: A
authors: Grau
authors: Maria Eugenia
authors: ME
authors: Gras
authors: Sílvia
authors: S
authors: Font-Mayolas
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Silva
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Dávalos
authors: Verónica
authors: V
authors: Cruz
authors: Joana
authors: J
authors: Rodrigo
authors: Joaquín
authors: J
authors: Serena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000473:pathology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology*