Having serious heart problems should be a sure warning to stop smoking, but researchers have found that 52 percent of people who have heart-related disorders continue to smoke, WebMD Medical News reported Feb. 27.

German researchers found that smoking remained common among people with a history of high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Among those diagnosed with three or more of these problems, 28 percent still smoked.

Denial about the health risks of smoking may play a role, but the researchers also said that smokers may not be getting proper counseling after their illness: less than 4 percent of smokers said they had received stop-smoking counseling from their doctor during their previous health exam.

The research was published Feb. 27, 2006 in the journal BMC Public Health.