The data is clear. Women who smoke more than 15 cigarettes daily (heavy smokers) have a three-times higher risk of infarction than women who do not smoke. This risk increases in proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked, not to mention that the risk of stroke as well as incidences of death from all causes doubles. These risks further increase if the habit of smoking is combined with the use of combined hormonal contraceptives (CHC). The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) doubles in women smokers using CHC after 35 years of age.
