Chapter 6 
the 1980's, one involving men (Kaufman et al., 1989) and the other 
involving women (Palmer et al., 1989), did not show evidence of reduced 
risk for smokers smoking lower nicotine products. Both studies included 
persons with a first and nonfatal myocardial infarction. In the 1980-1981 
study of men younger than 54, neither nicotine nor carbon monoxide yields 
of current brand were associated with risk of myocardial infarction (Table 4). 
From 1985 to 1988, a similar case-control study of women as old as 65 with 
nonfatal myocardial infarction also showed no relationship between nicotine 
or carbon monoxide yields of current brand of cigarettes and risk of 
myocardial infarction (Table 5). 
The study of Kaiser-Permanente enrollees also supplied relevant 
information (Petitti and Friedman, 1985b). Hospitalization for a variety 
of cardiovascular outcomes was assessed in relation to type of cigarettes 
smoked, after adjusting for other predictors. Using a multivariate regression 
model, the investigators found relatively small increases in risk for 
hospitalization as tar yield increased. 
Table 4 
Relative adjusted risk of myocardial infarction in men by nicotine and carbon 
monoxide yield of cigarettes smoked 
Smoker Status 
Relative Risk 
95% 
Confidence 
Interval 
Never-Smoker 
1.0 
2.5 - 6.7 
Current Smoker 
Nicotine yield (mg) 
< 0.8 
3.8 
2.3 - 6.5 
0.8-0.9 
4.1 
2.5 - 6.7 
1. 0-1.1 
3.4 
2.2 - 5.3 
1.2-1 .4 
2.4 
1.5 -3.8 
^1.5 
3.2 
1.9 -5.6 
Carbon monoxide yield (mg) 
< 10 
3.5 
1.9 -6.6 
10-14 
4.4 
2.6 - 7.5 
15-17 
3.2 
2.1 -5.0 
18 
2.9 
1.8 -4.5 
a 19 
3.3 
1.8 -6.0 
Source: Kaufman et al., 1983. 
85 
