In the 411 smokers who were depressed at the time of hospitalization, depressive symptoms were more likely to improve amongst those who quit in the following year in comparison to those who continued smoking.
New findings presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2021, examined whether depressed patients who quit smoking after a heart attack experienced an improvement in their mental health if they quit.
The study enrolled 1,822 acute coronary syndrome patients from the Swiss SPUM-ACS cohort, and assessed their smoking status via questionnaire at the time of hospitalization and one year later. The research team analyzed the associations between smoking and depression after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, education, marital status, physical activity, alcohol use, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease, cardiac rehabilitation attendance, and high-dose statins at discharge.
The compiled data indicated that in the 411 smokers who were depressed at the time of hospitalization, depressive symptoms were more likely to improve amongst those who quit in the following year in comparison to those who continued smoking.
Smoking does not negatively impact mental well-being
Similarly, a recent systematic review has indicated that quitting smoking does not negatively impact mental well-being as at times assumed, but on the contrary may produce positive health effects in a matter of just weeks.
Approximately 40 to 45% of mental health professionals assumed that smoking cessation would be counterproductive to their patients’ mental states. Similarly, many smokers believe that due to the irritability that results from withdrawal, their relationships would be impacted negatively.
However, the review found that actually people who quit smoking had a greater reduction in anxiety, depression, and symptoms of stress than those who did not. “Smokers often believe that cigarettes are the crutch they need when they feel low, but there is good reason to think that smoking is actually making them feel worse,” said lead study author Dr. Gemma Taylor.
Many Smokers With Heart Problems Are Aware of Smoking Risks Yet Don’t Quit
