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Increase in Mortality Associated With Menthol Cigarette Use

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Feb 25, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2025 -- Menthol cigarettes are associated with increased mortality risk, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Tobacco Control.

Priti Bandi, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk according to baseline smoking status and menthol flavor status of the cigarette brand smoked for the longest period in a population-based prospective cohort study involving 969,349 persons enrolled in 1982 to 1983 with six years of mortality follow-up.

The researchers found 4,071 and 20,738 deaths among 73,486 and 281,680 persons who reported reporting menthol and nonmenthol brands, respectively. Mortality risks were highest for currently smoking cigarettes, whether menthol or nonmenthol brands (e.g., about a twofold higher risk for all-causes than never smoking), while risks were substantially reduced for both types with quitting. Among individuals who formerly smoked, menthol versus nonmenthol smoking was associated with increased mortality risks of 12, 16, 13, and 43 percent from all causes, all cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart disease, and other heart diseases, respectively. Among current smokers, mortality risks did not differ for menthol versus nonmenthol cigarettes, apart from elevated risk among those smoking ≥40 cigarettes daily. For other heart diseases, Black persons currently smoking menthol versus nonmenthol brands had an 88 percent increased mortality risk.

"Menthol cigarettes remain unregulated despite known harms from smoking uptake and reduced cessation," the authors write. "This study provides additional evidence in support of their regulation in the USA and globally."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted February 2025

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