Smoking Ups Your Risk of a Fatal Brain Bleed

Smokers have a significantly raised risk of dying from a bleeding stroke, a new study warns.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from over 16,000 same-sex twin pairs in Finland. The twins were born before 1958 and followed for about 42 years (between 1976 and 2018).

During the follow-up, there were 120 deaths from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This is a type of bleeding stroke that occurs under the membrane that covers the brain. The median age at death was about 61.

Compared to nonsmokers, the risk of fatal bleeding in the brain was three times higher among heavy and moderate smokers, and 2.8 times higher among light smokers.