Smoking and subarachnoid haemorrhage.

A retrospective study of 208 patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms showed a highly significant excess of cigarette smokers among both men and women compared with the expected incidence. Results suggested that continued smoking increases the risk of suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) by a factor of 3.9 for men and 3.7 for women. Other factors besides smoking must affect the genesis of aneurysmal SAH since it is found in non-smokers, but continued cigarette smoking appears to increase substantially the risk of aneurysmal SAH occurring.