Smoking as a major risk for heart disease in the covid-19 pandemic: A case-control study

Abstract

Heart disease, which is on the rise, particularly in developing countries like Indonesia, is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Pandemic COVID-19 should cause concern for those who currently have cardiovascular disease as it may exacerbate their condition. This study aims at investigating how dietary and lifestyle factors influence the prevalence of heart disease during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study is analytical research embracing the case-control approach. There were up to 118 patients with heart disease in the population comprising 30 respondents from the control group and 30 from the case sample. The sample was withdrawn by accidental sampling and interviews. The findings of this study indicated a significant relationship between smoking and heart disease with an OR of 4.929 (p=0.004), suggesting that smokers have a five-fold increased risk of acquiring heart disease when compared to non-smokers. The frequency of heart disease is significantly influenced by the pattern of physical activity (p-value 0.007) and diet (p-value 0.018). Yet, coffee consumption have no significant relationship with the prevalence of heart disease (p-value 0.108 OR 0.419). It is preferable to give up on cigarettes. If quitting proves to be challenging, other options could include progressively lowering intake, engaging in regular exercise and consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables. It is also highly advised to maintain a healthy diet and undergo regular check-ups so that any health issues can be detected early and treated as necessary.