Smoking hinders effectiveness of embolization procedureJuly 31, 2019 - 16:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Embolization procedures to treat blood vessel abnormalities in the lungs are less effective if the patient is a smoker, according to a new study published in Radiology. The authors examined data from 103 patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) who underwent embolization to block pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs). All patients were treated from January 2000 to August 2017. Overall, there was a five-year PAVM persistence rate of 17.3%. Patients were more likely to experience PAVM persistence after treatment if they smokers than if they had never smoked. The five-year persistence rate was 12.2% for nonsmokers, 21.9% for smokers with 20 pack-years or less and 37.8% or smokers with more than 20 pack-years. In addition, the five-year persistence rate of patients who reported regular tobacco use at the time of the procedure was (26.3%) nearly twice the rate of inactive smokers (13.5%). “Smoking creates an inflammatory response,” senior author Sanjay Misra, MD, department of radiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a prepared statement. “More inflammation creates a greater likelihood of failure for smokers compared to those who never smoked.” Misra also noted that patients are urged to stop smoking before being treated for PAVMs. “Smoking cessation is very important if these patients want to help themselves and avoid further procedures,” she said in the same statement. Misra and colleagues did write that their research had certain limitations. It was a retrospective study for instance, and included a relatively small sample size. The team added that “verification of these results in a multicenter study would provide further validation of our findings.” Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenian delegation participating in NATO PA session The delegation is headed by Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the standing committee on defense and security matters. Schengen visa cost won’t change for Armenia – diplomat The increase in the cost of a Schengen visa will not apply to citizens of Armenia, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said. Yeremyan Projects opens state-of-the-art dairy production plant Yeremyan Projects officially launched the Yeremyan Products state-of-the-art milk processing plant in Yerevan on May 24. Armenian PM’s helicopter makes emergency landing in Vanadzor The helicopter transporting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made an emergency landing in Vanadzor. |