@article {7763, title = {Higher rates of Clostridium difficile infection among smokers.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {7}, year = {2012}, month = {2012}, pages = {e42091}, publisher = {7}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoking has been shown to be related to inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated whether smoking affected the probability of developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study of 16,781 older individuals from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Data were linked to files from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

RESULTS: Overall, the rate of CDI in older individuals was 220.6 per 100,000 person-years (95\% CI 193.3, 248.0). Rates of CDI were 281.6/100,000 person-years in current smokers, 229.0/100,000 in former smokers and 189.1/100,000 person-years in never smokers. The odds of CDI were 33\% greater in former smokers (95\% CI: 8\%, 65\%) and 80\% greater in current smokers (95\% CI: 33\%, 145\%) when compared to never smokers. When the number of CDI-related visits was evaluated, current smokers had a 75\% increased rate of CDI compared to never smokers (95\% CI: 15\%, 167\%).

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is associated with developing a Clostridium difficile infection. Current smokers have the highest risk, followed by former smokers, when compared to rates of infection in never smokers.

}, keywords = {Clostridioides difficile, Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Smoking, United States}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0042091}, author = {Mary A M Rogers and M. Todd Greene and Sanjay Saint and Carol E Chenoweth and Preeti N Malani and Itishree Trivedi and David M. Aronoff} }