Smokers can immediately improve their cardiovascular health by kicking the butt, according to a study.

Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY, say that smoking cessation provides immediate benefits to patients.

They examined specific inflammatory biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in "at risk" women during the smoking cessation process.

It was found that smoking cessation resulted in significant reductions in circulating tumour necrosis factor (TNF), soluble TNF receptors I and II, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1).

Thus, the researchers concluded that there are rapid consequences of smoking cessation on inflammatory biomarkers in women at risk for CVD.

The article has been published in Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.