Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul 20;18(14):7692.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147692.

Cardiovascular Risk Factor and Disease Measures from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study

Martin C Mahoney  1 , Cheryl Rivard  1 , Hoda T Hammad  2 , Carlos Blanco  3 , James Sargent  4 , Heather L Kimmel  3 , Baoguang Wang  2 , Michael J Halenar  5 , Jueichuan Connie Kang  2   6 , Nicolette Borek  2 , K Michael Cummings  7 , Kristin Lauten  5 , Maciej L Goniewicz  1 , Dorothy Hatsukami  8 , Eva Sharma  5 , Kristie Taylor  5 , Andrew Hyland  1
Affiliations

Cardiovascular Risk Factor and Disease Measures from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study

Martin C Mahoney et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a key health condition associated with tobacco use; however, clinical measures are not typically possible in population-based studies. In this paper, we assess the reliability and validity of self-reported cardiovascular risk factors and diseases in a large nationally representative study of tobacco use and health outcomes.

Methods: This paper analyzes self-reported cardiovascular risk factors and disease among adults age 40 years and older based on U.S. nationally representative data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (self-reported high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and family history of premature heart disease, BMI ≥ 35, and tobacco use) and cardiovascular disease (self-reported heart attack, stroke and/or congestive heart failure (CHF)) were considered along with ratings of physical functioning, fatigue, and general health.

Results: Self-reported cardiovascular disease was found to be associated with functional health measures (walking up a flight of stairs) and general ratings of health. Prospective analyses found strong correlations between sequential data collection waves for history of hypertension, elevated cholesterol and CHF, while more modest correlations were noted for stroke and heart attack. The overall prevalence of cardiovascular disease and hypertension was comparable to those from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Conclusions: These analyses suggest reliability and concurrent validity regarding self-reported cardiovascular risk factors and disease assessed in the PATH Study.

Keywords: cardiovascular outcomes; health behavior; survey methods; validity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

K. Michael Cummings provides expert testimony on the health effects of smoking and tobacco industry tactics in lawsuits filed against the tobacco industry. He has also received payment as a consultant to Pfizer, Inc., for services on an external advisory panel to assess ways to improve smoking cessation delivery in health care settings. Maciej Goniewicz has received a research grant from Pfizer and served as a member of a scientific advisory board to Johnson & Johnson. Martin C. Mahoney has provided expert testimony on the health effects of smoking in lawsuits filed against the tobacco industry. He has also received research support from Pfizer, Inc., for an on-going clinical trial of smoking cessation, and has previously served on external advisory panels sponsored by Pfizer to promote smoking cessation in clinical settings.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of PATH Study heart condition prevalence with NHANES self-reported prevalence by tobacco user group and overall, age 40+. * NHANES: never: never smoked a cigarette, even one time; former: smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes not at all; current: smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes every day or some days. PATH Study: never: never smoked a cigarette, even one or two puffs; former: ever smoked a cigarette, smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes not at all or has not smoked in the past 12 months; current: ever smoked a cigarette, smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes every day or some days; any of these: respondents who were classified as either never, former, or current cigarette smokers. Note: all Ns are unweighted.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of PATH Study high blood pressure prevalence with NHANES self-reported prevalence by tobacco user group and overall, age 40+. * NHANES: never: never smoked a cigarette, even one time; former: smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes not at all; current: smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes every day or some days. PATH Study: never: never smoked a cigarette, even one or two puffs; former: ever smoked a cigarette, smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes not at all or has not smoked in the past 12 months; current: ever smoked a cigarette, smoked at least 100 cigarettes in life and now smokes every day or some days. Note: all Ns are unweighted.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; Atlanta, GA, USA: 2014.
    1. Kannel W., McGee D., Castelli W. Latest Perspectives on Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease: The Framingham Study. J. Card. Rehabil. 1984;4:267–277.
    1. Jonas M.A., Oates J.A., Ockene J.K., Hennekens C.H. Statement on smoking and cardiovascular disease for health care professionals. American Heart Association. Circulation. 1992;86:1664–1669. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.86.5.1664. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Benjamin E.J., Virani S.S., Callaway C.W., Chamberlain A.M., Chang A.R., Cheng S., Chiuve S.E., Cushman M. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2018 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137:e67–e492. - PubMed
    1. Yusuf S., Hawken S., Ounpuu S., Dans T., Avezum A., Lanas F., McQueen M., Budaj A., Pais P., Varigos J., et al. Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): Case-control study. Lancet. 2004;364:937–952. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17018-9. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types