2024-10-26 10:54:00
“In monitoring cardiovascular risk factors, we cardiologists now routinely use indices such as glycemia and cholesterol, in particular the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL), as well as microalbuminuria and uric acid. However, we do not have objective indices for monitoring the tobacco consumption, which remains one of the main cardiovascular risk factors. Today we only rely on what the patient reports, but in 2-3 minutes we cannot get an exhaustive history level of risk regarding smoking“. Silvio Festinese, cardiologist coordinator of the ASL Roma 1 and coordinator of the Chair of Pharmacology of the Unicamillus University of Rome, told Adnkronos Salute on the occasion of the 21st edition of ‘Romacuore’, a meeting promoted by the Italian Society of Cardiology to take stock on innovations in the cardiology field and on real progress applicable in the clinic. Among the topics addressed, with a specific session, the fight against smoking.
“The little time we dedicate to the smoking habit of our patients is a sore point – admits Festinese – Smoking requires more empathy in the doctor-patient relationship, one or two minutes are truly insufficient as are the extemporaneous questions ‘how many cigarettes per day’? do you smoke?’, and ‘for how long?’”.
For Festinese ‘the gold standard is that smoking is bad for you, and it is now clear that for our health we shouldn’t smoke. Nicotine consumption is a risk factor. However, precise evidence published in authoritative international journals tells us that it is the method of nicotine consumption that is the real cause of damage, not only cardiovascular but also oncological. In fact, it is combustion that releases dozens of toxic and carcinogenic substances which then cause cardiopulmonary damage” he concludes.
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