Mayo Clinic: Smoking Bans Cut Cardiac Events Nearly in Half

Mayo Clinic researchers found that the incidence of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths was cut in half among Olmsted County, Minn., residents after a smoke-free ordinance took effect.

The study draws data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a long-term, collaborative medical records project among healthcare providers in Olmsted County.

The population-based study showed that during the 18 months before Olmsted County's first smoke-free law for restaurants was passed in 2002, the regional incidence of heart attack was 212.3 cases per 100,000 residents. In the 18 months following a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance in 2007, in which restaurants and workplaces became smoke-free, that rate dropped to 102.9 per 100,000 residents — a decrease of approximately 45 percent.

Researchers also found that during these two time periods, the incidence of sudden cardiac death fell from 152.5 to 76.6 per 100,000 residents — a 50 percent reduction. The study was presented to the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Orlando.

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