Pulmonary and Cardiac Smoking-Related History Improves Abstinence Rates in an Urban, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Patient Population.

Background: Tobacco use continues to take the lives of many, and targeted interventions can counter this health burden. One possible target population is patients who have had a smoking-related diagnosis, as they may have a greater drive to quit.

Objective: To assess whether patients with previous cardiac or pulmonary conditions directly attributable to smoking have greater rates of abstinence post-discharge from hospitalization in the CHART-NY trial.

Design: CHART-NY was a randomized comparative effectiveness trial comparing a more intensive versus a less intensive smoking cessation intervention after hospital discharge. We divided the 1618 CHART-NY participants into a smoking-related history group of 597 and a nonsmoking-related history group of 1021 based on cardiac or pulmonary conditions in a retrospective chart review. We conducted chi-squared analyses on baseline characteristics. Using follow-up survey data, we conducted chi-squared analyses on abstinence outcomes and made logistic regression models for the predictive value of smoking-related conditions on abstinence.

Participants: A total of 1059 and 1084 participants in CHART-NY who completed both 2- and 6-month follow-up surveys respectively.

Main measures: Self-reported 30-day abstinence at 2- and 6-month follow-up and survey data for baseline characteristics.

Key results: Those abstinent at 6-month follow-up were more likely to have a smoking-attributable history (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.09-1.81). When stratified based on intervention, only the intensive counseling group was significant (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.08-2.17). The regression model using a smoking-related comorbidity score was significant at 6 months (OR = 1.29, p = 0.03), and the multivariate logistic regression model analyzing each smoking-related condition separately demonstrated significance for myocardial infarction at 6 months (OR = 1.66, p = 0.03).

Conclusions: People who smoke who have experienced smoking-related conditions may be more likely to benefit from smoking cessation interventions, especially intensive telephone-based counseling. Multiple conditions had an additive effect in predicting long-term abstinence after intervention, and myocardial infarction had the greatest predictive value.