Relation between Aortic Atherosclerosis and the Use of Cigarettes and Alcohol

Abstract
Examination of 1019 consecutively autopsied white patients who underwent standardized interviews before death, demonstrated no statistically significant relation between aortic atherosclerosis and the use of alcohol. However, a graded and statistically significant increase in the severity of aortic atherosclerosis was found with increasing use of cigarettes measured by both intensity (packages per day) and duration (number of years of smoking).