London, Aug 21 : Smokeless tobacco products like snus can higher a person's risk of having a fatal heart attack or stroke, says a new study.

The research has been published on bmj. com.

To reach the conclusion, the research team, led by Dr Paolo Boffetta at International Agency for Research on Cancer in France, analysed the results of 11 studies carried out in Sweden and North America on the use of smokeless tobacco products and the risk of developing or dying from a heart attack or stroke.

Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias.

They found a small increased risk of death from a heart attack or stroke among users of smokeless tobacco products compared with non-users.

Smokeless tobacco caused 0.5 percent of all heart attacks in the United States and 5.6 percent in Sweden. The products were also the cause of 1.7 percent of stroke deaths in the United States and 5.4 percent in Sweden. (ANI)