Thrift AP, Jove AG, Liu Y, et al. - Experts aspired to explore if smoking increases the risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia. Data from 385 cases of gastric intestinal metaplasia and 1,577 controls without gastric intestinal metaplasia were compared in a cross-sectional study at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX. Current smokers had 2-fold greater risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia vs never smokers. Increasing duration and total dose were significantly linked to increased risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia among ever smokers. A risk factor for gastric intestinal metaplasia is cigarette smoking. The risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia among former smokers remained significantly increased until 15 years after cessation.