Quitting cigarette smoking is an important goal of preventive care after a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Hospital-based smoking cessation programs seem to increase the likelihood of kicking the habit, according to a study in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA identified 2498 patients who had suffered a heart attack between January 2003 and June 2004 and collected information on their smoking habits during hospitalization, as well as 6 months after the heart attack. Of these patients, 834 reported that they were smokers while they were in the hospital. 639 of these smokers were interviewed regarding their smoking habits 6 months after their heart attack, and 297 (or, 46%) reported that they were no longer smoking. The researchers found that, while individual counseling on smoking cessation did not affect the likelihood of quitting, enrollment in a hospital-based smoking cessation program and referral to a cardiac rehabilitation program were each associated with increased smoking cessation rates.

In addition, the researchers found that heart attack patients who were depressed were less likely to quit smoking. So, it seems that screening for and treating depression may be an important component of successful smoking cessation programs.