Exam Cram

• Smoking (tobacco) is the leading lifestyle cause of morbitity and mortality in the UK & the world

• Smoking is associated with lung diseases such as COPD & Lung Cancer; nearly all cancers and cardiovascular events (MI, Stroke)

• Smoking addiction is typically a nicotine addiction and the morbidity comes from the tar build up 

• Smoking cessation services improve individual's ability to stop smoking

Outline

Background

• Smoking results in 70,00 deaths (12% hospital admissions) in the UK & 8 million deaths annually

• It is the second largest modifiable risk factor of disease, behind Hypertension

• It is heavily associated with economic deprivation

Associations 

Respiratory

• COPD 

• Lung Cancer- particularly SCC (NSCLC)

Malignancy

• Particularly SCC

Cardiovascular events

• MI, 

• Stroke, 

• Hypertension

• Peripheral Vascular Disease

Psycho-social

• Socio-economic deprivation

• Anxiety

• Substance misuse

Smoking Cessation Services

• Varenicline and bupropion have the highest success rates at smoking cessation- 20% after one year

• Nicotine gum, patches, counselling, hypnosis have intermediate success rates,

• Willpower has the lowest rates, 8% quit after one year

References

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco

Written in 2025.