Smoking history associated with decreased heart inflammation in Clinically Manifest Cardiac Sarcoidosis patients
Nov 24, 2022 // Study Updates
The causes of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease diagnosed in an estimated 21,000 Canadians, remain unknown. A specific form affecting the heart, cardiac sarcoidosis (or CS), is considered especially serious, being responsible for roughly 85% of deaths from the disease despite accounting for only 5% of sarcoidosis cases.
A group of researchers led by Dr. David Birnie of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute used de-identified questionnaire data from the OHS as control cases to investigate a common hypothesis: a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. Their research found a strong negative association between smoking and clinically manifest CS. Moreover, they observed that nonsmokers had more severe inflammation of the heart muscle than did patients with a smoking history. Researchers noted further research is needed to understand why.