title: Specific antismoking advice after stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many stroke survivors would benefit from modification of their lifestyle in order to reduce their risk of recurrent stroke. We investigated if tailored smoking cessation advice would yield a higher smoking cessation rate and a higher rate with sustained abstinence in ex-smokers in the intervention group than among controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients admitted with an acute stroke or a transient ischaemic attack were included in a randomised controlled trial focusing on control of lifestyle risk factors and hypertension. Here, we report the intervention focused on smoking cessation. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to identify patient characteristics associated with smoking cessation. Analyses were by intention to treat excluding those who died or suffered severe disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 254 patients with a history of smoking. Two years after inclusion, 15 of 57 (26%) baseline smokers in the intervention group had stopped smoking versus eight of 56 (14%) among controls (p = 0.112). Living with a partner (p = 0.012), having at least ten years of education (p = 0.012), and not being exposed to smoking at home (p = 0.036) were independent predictors of smoking cessation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not achieve our aim of higher smoking cessation rates in the intervention group. Future smoking cessation interventions should be more intensive, focus on patients' social circumstances and, if possible, involve patients' relatives.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study was supported by the Ludvig and Sara Elsass Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation and The Danish Heart Foundation (Grant 07-4-B703-A1378-22384F).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This protocol is registered with Clinical Trials.gov (NCT 00253097).
authors.affiliation: Neurologisk Afdeling, Herlev Hospital, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, Denmark. nete@hornnes.dk.
authors.forename: Nete
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hornnes
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brink-Kjær
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boysen
mesh_terms: D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D012008:Recurrence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control*