Media Reports
The Daily Telegraph, U.K. By Aisling Irwin Medical Correspondent

(C) Telegraph Group Limited, London, 1999 The Daily Telegraph, U.K. Tuesday, August 17, 1999

Smoking Linked to Strokes

People who live or work with smokers increase their risk of having a stroke by more than 80 per cent, according to a medical study.

And the risk of stroke to active smokers is higher than previously estimated, because its true extent had been masked by the effects of passive smoking, say researchers.

Active smokers run six times the risk of non-smokers who are not exposed to cigarettes. The research used data from the New Zealand Auckland Stroke Study, which has documented all cases of stroke in Auckland of anyone over the age of 15. More than 2,000 people were involved, including about 500 stroke patients.

It indicates that, of every 500 non-smokers, five will suffer an acute stroke; of 500 passive smokers, nine will suffer a stroke; and of 500 active smokers, 32 will succumb.

The study reports: "Results suggest that passive smoking, known to be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, is also associated with subsequent strokes. "This provides support for efforts to reduce the prevalence of passive smoking and to strengthen public health arguments against smoking."

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