Today, most people are aware that smoking is a significant risk factor for most types of heart and vascular diseases, including lower extremity vascular disease, aortic aneurysms and carotid artery disease and stroke.

If you are trying to give up smoking, speak to your physician about ways to quit. Formal smoking cessation programs are an option and programs affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian are listed below:

• The Weill Cornell Internal Medicine Associates runs a smoking cessation program that consists of group meetings that promote behavioral changes. The group meets once a week at the NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center, Helmsley Tower, 4th floor. For more information, contact Stasi Lubansky, NP, at (212) 746-2881.

•The AIM Practice Smoking Cessation Clinic offers individual smoking cessation counseling sessions on Mondays at the Vanderbilt Clinic at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. For information or to make an appointment call (212) 305-6354.

•For more information on smoking cessation resources at NewYork-Presbyterian, please see the smoking cessation page on our main Hospital web site, nyp.org.