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Men who started smoking when they were 16 or younger are at double the risk of developing symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). PAOD usually means that fatty material collects under the lining of the artery wall, making the passageway through the artery narrower. This reduces the amount of oxygen getting through to parts of the body.
Spanish researchers found this relationship held true regardless of how much they smoked (Journal of Vascular Surgery 2002; 35: 506-9).
About one in 10 current or ex-smokers had symptomatic PAOD at age 55-74, researchers found.
