How Do Smoking Status and Smoking Cessation Efforts Affect TB Recurrence After Successful Completion of Anti-TB Treatment? A Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Study With a 7-Year Follow-up in China.

This study provides a comprehensive picture of the association of smoking behavior and cessation efforts with TB recurrence. It shows that patients who are nonsmokers have the lowest risk of recurrence and that ex-smokers have a lower risk of recurrence than current smokers. Moreover, patients who successfully quit smoking during TB treatment have a lower risk of recurrence than those who continue smoking. Health workers should provide cessation intervention, focus on TB patients with a history of smoking, and continuously monitor TB recurrence after the completion of anti-TB treatment, particularly for smear-positive TB patients.