A large-scale study has shown that smoking does women more arterial damage than it does to men. 1694 men and 1893 women were observed from various countries surrounding Europe and ultrasound technology was used to test the levels of carotid thickening and carotid plaque in both sexes. The thickness of these walls is an indicator of atherosclerosis which is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The study shows that the thickness of the carotid is directly related to the amount of tobacco smoked throughout one’s life. The impact of cigarettes smoked throughout one’s life is doubled in women over men and the number of cigarettes smoked per day and their effects on the development of the disease is over five-fold in women as compared to men.
What are not taken into consideration in this study are factors such as age, weight, social factors and cholesterol/ blood pressure levels, although, the study is still of great importance according to the authors at the University of Milan considering that anti-smoking campaigns have had less of an effect on the numbers of women stopping smoking than in men. The reasons behind the greater effects of smoking on women is as yet unknown but is thought to be related to inflammation and atherosclerosis.