title: Cigarette smoking and the onset and persistence of panic attacks during mid-adulthood in the United States: 1994-2005.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study examined the relationship between cigarette smoking (daily) and risk of onset and persistence of panic attacks over a 10-year period among adults in mid-adulthood in the United States and whether quitting smoking reduced the risk for panic attacks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey (N = 2,101), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 25 to 74 years at baseline (wave 1, 1994-1995) who were followed up 10 years later at wave 2 (2004-2006). Psychiatric diagnoses were based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short-Form (CIDI-SF [based on DSM-III-R criteria]) scales. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate the associations between smoking status and the onset and persistence of panic attack after controlling for demographic characteristics and substance use problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Daily smoking in 1994 (OR = 1.9 [95% CI, 1.1-3.3]) and persistent daily smoking in 1994 and 2005 (OR = 2.6 [95% CI, 1.4-4.8]) were associated with a significantly increased likelihood of panic attacks in 2005. Moreover, smoking abstinence significantly reduced the risk of new-onset panic attacks (OR = 0.6 [95% CI, 0.4-0.97]) and persistence of panic attacks (OR = 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.5]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data provide novel evidence that smoking is associated with an increased risk of panic attacks and that quitting smoking helps reduce such risk.
authors: Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory & Substance Use Treatment Clinic, 126 Heyne Bldg, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77024 JBakhshaie@uh.edu.
authors: Jafar
authors: J
authors: Bakhshaie
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Zvolensky
authors: Renee D
authors: RD
authors: Goodwin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology