Smokers more likely to develop COVID-19 complications

Among patients with COVID-19 infection, those who smoke are at higher risk of developing complications compared with those who do not smoke, according to a study from Malaysia.

The multicentre observational study included 5,889 COVID-19 patients whose records for smoking status, comorbidities, clinical features, and disease management were assessed.

Of the patients, 529 (9.0 percent) were current smokers, 262 (4.4 percent) were former smokers, and 5,098 (86.5 percent) were nonsmokers; the current and former smokers were grouped together as ever smokers. Patients in the ever-smoker group were slightly older than never smokers (median age, 36 vs 34 years; p<0.001).

Furthermore, the ever-smoker group had much greater proportion of diabetes, cardiac disease, and chronic pulmonary disease. Significantly more patients who were ever smokers vs never smokers had shortness of breath. Other symptoms such as sore throat, nausea, vomiting, fever, and myalgia were more common among never smokers.

Logistic regression analysis revealed that ever smoking conferred a significantly elevated risk of having COVID-19 complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 1.69, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.09–2.55), renal injury (OR, 1.55, 95 percent CI, 1.10–2.14), and acute liver injury (OR, 1.33, 95 percent CI, 1.01–1.74).

However, when it comes to disease outcomes, there were no significant differences noted between the ever- and never-smoker groups.

The findings underscore an opportunity to highlighting the benefits of quitting smoking.