Post-myocardial infarction, ex-smokers vs non-smokers chances

[nickykf]

Why are ex-smojkers chances post-myocardial infarction better than those of non-smokers? Question posed at work but I'm unable to find any answers - can anyone help please?

[4GS]

I would have thought the question would be why are the chances better for a non smoker than a smoker?
surely an ex smoker is still a non smoker?

[FUZZYBEE]

I'm guessing might be a trick question as I would have thought that if both had suffered an MI then the heart is irreversably (sp) damaged so in theory they start off at level pegging again.Maybe the smoking refers to the arteries that lead to the heart becoming damaged and blocked. One of the only answers I know to this question is that in 90% of MI cases the patient will die within a year.