Smoking Causes Peripheral Vascular Disease
Front of Cigarette Pack (representation only) | Back of Cigarette Pack (representation only) |
People may have PVD without the usual symptoms of pain, but the most common symptom of PVD is intermittent severe pain, usually in the legs when exercising. 2 This pain may also be present when not exercising. In the later stages of PVD, open sores in the legs and feet may not heal and can progress to gangrene or the death of the affected tissue. In severe cases, amputation may be necessary for relief of pain and to prevent the development of gangrene. 1
If you have PVD, continuing to smoke during treatment is likely to result in less successful treatment than if you were not smoking. 1
There are around 10,000 new cases of PVD each year and about 70,000 Australians live with the disease. 3 More than 2,500 Australians died from PVD in 2002. 4
Someone who has ever smoked is more than four times as likely as a non-smoker to develop PVD and current smokers are more than 11 times more likely than non-smokers to suffer from PVD. 5
Smoking causes 68% of PVD among males and 61% among females. 5
If you start smoking at or before the age of 16 there is evidence that you more than double your risk of developing PVD, regardless of the amount you smoke. 6
Quitting smoking will reduce your chance of developing PVD.
Decided to quit smoking? For help, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or call the Quitline on 131 848 or visit the Quitline web site at www.quitnow.info.au
Sources
- American Council on Science and Health. Cigarettes: What the warning label doesn't tell you. Second edition. New York, American Council on Science and Health, 2003.
- The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General . Atlanta, Georgia. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm
- AIHW. Mathers et al. (1999). The burden of disease and injury in Australia . AIHW cat. No. PHE 17. Canberra. AIHW.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2004. Heart, stroke and vascular diseases - Australian facts 2004 . AIHW Cat. No. CVD 27. Canberra: AIHW and National Heart Foundation of Australia (Cardiovascular series No. 22) http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/cvd/hsvd04/.
- Holman & Armstrong et al. (1990). The quantification of drug caused morbidity and mortality in Australia 1988 . Canberra: AGPS.
- Planas et al, Age at onset of smoking is an independent risk factor in peripheral artery disease development , in Journal of Vascular Surgery, March 2003; 35 (3): 506-9.
- Click the link with the RIGHT mouse button
- Choose "Save Target As.../Save Link As..." depending on your browser
- Select an appropriate folder on a local drive to place the downloaded file
Help with accessing large documents
When accessing large documents (over 500 KB in size), it is recommended that the following procedure be used:
Attempting to open large documents within the browser window (by left-clicking)
may inhibit your ability to continue browsing while the document is
opening and/or lead to system problems.
Help with accessing PDF documents
To view PDF (Portable Document Format) documents, you will need to have a PDF reader installed on your computer. A number of PDF readers are available through the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) Web Guide website.
Reasons to quit
Every cigarette you don’t smoke is doing you good. There are many health benefits to quitting, some of which you’ll be able to notice within hours or days. Similarly, within days, you’ll also notice the extra money in your pocket you’ve saved from quitting.
Ways to quit
Quitting smoking can be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person can do. Most smokers' say they would like to quit, and may have tried at least once. These tips and facts will assist you in quitting for good.
Help and support
Quitting smoking can be hard, but you’re not alone. Quitline and Quit Coach can offer the support and guidance you need to quit for good.
Health Professionals
General practitioners and other health care professionals have an important role to play in assisting patients to quit. This section provides useful information, specific to health care professionals.