Effect of Tobacco Product Types on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

¹ Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
² Department of Statistics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

^* ychu04@student.ubc.ca
jingwen.lian@student.unsw.edu.au
^† These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Tobacco use is one of the key contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD), while hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes are three traditional CVD risk factors. With the diversification of tobacco products and different usage patterns among age groups, the specific influence of smoking on CVD risk factors remains unclear. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of these effects is crucial for enhancing public health awareness. This study applies logistic regression and age stratification to uncover the link between tobacco product types and CVD risk factors by using 2015-2018 NHANES data. Our study demonstrates that different types of tobacco use increase the chance of CVD risk factors, and the impact varies by product type and age group. The research focuses on individuals aged above 50 and identifies that hypertension risk is higher among current smokeless tobacco users. Former cigarette users and former cigar users have a higher chance of having high cholesterol and diabetes. Current cigarette use is linked to lower diabetes risk. This work improves the knowledge of the influence of tobacco use on CVD risk factors among the elderly, who are more vulnerable to health issues, providing valuable insights for public health initiatives and tobacco control policies.