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Smoking and CAD—what's plaque got to do with it?

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The precise physiological mechanisms linking cigarette smoking with increased coronary risk remain largely speculative. Similarly, the reason why smoking cessation is effective at ameliorating this risk is also unclear. The subclinical study by Nakanishi and colleagues has challenged the orthodoxy that plaque formation is the necessary ingredient underpinning these associations.

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Figure 1: Assessing the relationship between calcified plaque formation and smoking.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, 4006, QLD, Australia

    Rachel Huxley

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  1. Rachel Huxley
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Correspondence to Rachel Huxley.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Huxley, R. Smoking and CAD—what's plaque got to do with it?. Nat Rev Cardiol 12, 265–266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.37

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