Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1989 Mar 25;298(6676):789-94.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6676.789.

Meta-analysis of relation between cigarette smoking and stroke

R Shinton  1 , G Beevers
Affiliations

Meta-analysis of relation between cigarette smoking and stroke

R Shinton et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

There is a lack of consensus among studies on the possible risks of stroke from cigarette smoking; because of this a meta-analysis was conducted. All published data on the association were sought and the relative risk for each study obtained whenever possible. The pooled relative risks were calculated by using estimates of the precision of the individual relative risks to weight their contribution to the meta-analysis. Thirty two separate studies were analysed. The overall relative risk of stroke associated with cigarette smoking was 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 1.6). Considerable differences were seen in relative risks among the subtypes: cerebral infarction 1.9, cerebral haemorrhage 0.7, and subarachnoid haemorrhage 2.9. An effect of age on the relative risk was also noted; less than 55 years 2.9, 55-74 years 1.8, and greater than or equal to 75 years 1.1. A dose response between the number of cigarettes smoked and relative risk was noted, and there was a small increased risk in women compared with men. Ex-smokers under the age of 75 seemed to retain an appreciably increased risk of stroke (1.5); for all ages the relative risk in ex-smokers was 1.2. The meta-analysis provides strong evidence of an excess risk of stroke among cigarette smokers. Stroke should therefore be added to the list of diseases related to smoking.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1966 Jan;19:127-204 - PubMed
    1. J Chronic Dis. 1967 Jul;20(7):545-59 - PubMed
    1. Am J Epidemiol. 1971 Dec;94(6):524-30 - PubMed
    1. Acta Neurol Scand. 1973;49(4):415-27 - PubMed
    1. Am J Public Health. 1974 May;64(5):450-8 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources