Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Both socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities exist for CVD morbidity and mortality, whereby individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) and members of minority groups are at increased risk of CVD-related disease and death. Smoking is a major contributor to CVD. Quitting smoking can help to improve cardiovascular health and prevent future CVD-related incidents. However, low SES and racial/ethnic minority smokers are less likely to use or have access to effective resources for quitting and less likely to successfully quit smoking. Moreover, the widespread implementation of population-based tobacco cessation approaches may have had the unintended effect of increasing tobacco-related disparities attributable to SES, contributing to CVD-related health disparities. Vulnerable populations of smokers must be provided with effective and accessible treatments for tobacco dependence in order to reduce health disparities.
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Vidrine, J.I., Reitzel, L.R. & Wetter, D.W. Smoking and health disparities. Curr Cardio Risk Rep 3, 403–408 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-009-0060-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-009-0060-5