Consider the following data from a British study of cigarette smoking and mortality among male physicians (Doll R. Peto R, Boreham J, Sutherland I. Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years' observations on male British doctors. Br Med J. 2004;328:1519. Doi: 10.1136/bmj.38142.554479.AE). The age-standardized mortality rates (per 100,000 person-years) from lung cancer and ischemic heart disease are 249 and 1001, respectively, among current smokers and 17 and 619 among lifelong nonsmokers. 

a. Use these data to calculate the mortality rate ratio and mortality rate difference for each disease comparing current smokers to lifelong nonsmokers. 

b. Based on your answer to part a, is smoking a stronger risk factor for deaths from lung cancer or ischemic heart disease? 

c. Based on your answer from part a, does smoking have a greater public health impact via deaths from lung cancer or ischemic heart disease? In other words, if smoking were the cause of mortality, how many deaths from each cause would have been averted if these individuals had never smoked?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

i Rate ratio for lung cancer 24917 1465 Rate ratio for ichemic heart dzz 1001619 162 Rate diff for ... View the full answer