Smoking increases hospitalizations, costs of peripheral artery disease

An analysis of medical costs associated with atherosclerotic lower extremity peripheral artery disease, a dangerous condition in which a buildup of plaque in the arteries restricts blood flow to the legs and feet, found that health care costs in one year were $18,000 higher in smokers with the condition than non-smokers with the condition. Researchers say clinicians should therefore focus on smoking cessation.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1OGfQL0