Smoking following myocardial infarction: A critical review of the literature.

Reviews studies on the effects of quitting smoking following acute myocardial infarction (MI). Topics discussed include definitions of abstinence used in the literature, reliance on patient self-reports, and personality and environment variables. Findings indicate that a significant number of MI patients quit smoking without receiving formal training and that those who quit suffer less subsequent mortality from coronary heart disease. It is argued that studies have overestimated cessation rates and underestimated negative effects of continued smoking due to their methodology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)