Background
Smoking is one of the known major risk factors of coronary artery disease and previous studies have shown that the risk of mortality declines after cessation of smoking. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of smoking on mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention, which has still not been established in Korea. Methods: Patients who had undergone successful percutaneous coronary intervention at Asan Medical Center between January 1996 and June 1997 were classified into nonsmokers (n=306), ex-smokers (n=178), and current smokers (n=360). According to subsequent smoking status, current smokers were divided into quitters (n=152), persistent smokers (n=173), and unknown status (n=35). The data of the death Roll was from the National Statistical Office. Results: The maximum follow-up was 119 months (mean±SD=100±26.5). The total smoking rate was 42.7%. The mortality rates of nonsmokers, ex-smokers and current smokers were 17.6%, 20.8%, and 17.2%, respectively. In analyses adjusted for base line characteristics, the relative risk of death among current smokers was 1.57 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 2.53) and among ex-smokers was 1.37 (95% CI, 0.80 to 2.35) compared with nonsmokers. The persistent smokers had a greater relative risk of death from all causes (relative risk, 2.20 [95% CI, 1.08 to 4.48]) as compared with the quitters. Conclusion: The persistent smokers were at greater risk for death than the quitters. Therefore, patients undergoing percutaneous intervention should be encouraged to stop smoking. (J Korean Acad Fam Med 2007;28: 698-704)