The prevalence of brain aneurysms in India is unknown. Extrapolating the estimates in Western countries to India, about 2,00,000 patients suffer from brain aneurysm rupture every year in India. A brain aneurysm rupture is fatal in about 40% of the cases and leads to significant disability in a considerable proportion of survivors. Considering that 62% of India's population is under 60 years of age and that most aneurysm ruptures occur between 35 and 60 years of age, a large proportion of patients lose their productive life due to brain aneurysm rupture.
Smoking is one of the only two modifiable predisposing conditions to brain aneurysm formation and rupture, the other being uncontrolled high blood pressure. According to the data from Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), in 2009-10, about one third of Indians (aged 15 and above) were smokers (48% males and 20% females). As such, every patient with a diagnosed brain aneurysm should be counselled to quit smoking.
Smoking no only predisposes to brain aneurysm rupture, but also acts as a catalyst in aneurysm formation and growth. Some of the known facts about smoking and brain aneurysms are
Smoking is one of the only two modifiable predisposing conditions to brain aneurysm formation and rupture, the other being uncontrolled high blood pressure. According to the data from Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), in 2009-10, about one third of Indians (aged 15 and above) were smokers (48% males and 20% females). As such, every patient with a diagnosed brain aneurysm should be counselled to quit smoking.
Smoking no only predisposes to brain aneurysm rupture, but also acts as a catalyst in aneurysm formation and growth. Some of the known facts about smoking and brain aneurysms are
- Smoking weakens the walls of the arteries in the brain leading to increased risk of outpouching. Also, weak arterial walls promote aneurysm growth and eventually rupture
- Smokers are three times more prone to aneurysm rupture than non-smokers
- Smokers are also predisposed to having stroke more often than non-smokers following aneurysm rupture
- Multiple brain aneurysms (>2 aneurysms) are more common in smokers than in the general population
- Female smokers are at the highest risk of aneurysm rupture
- The phenomenon of vasospasm (narrowing of arteries) following brain aneurysm rupture is more common in smokers
- Smokers are also prone to develop more complications during treatment of the aneurysm (surgical clipping or coiling)
- Even after aneurysm repair by clipping or coiling, the risk of aneurysm re-growth or development of new aneurysms remains in smokers
- High blood pressure and smoking are the only two risk factors for brain aneurysm rupture that can be modified and controlled. Hence, they need to be given utmost importance.
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