Smoking and Heart




smoking and heart In 1964, the Surgeon General presented a Report on Smoking and Health, which featured clear scientific evidence on harmful effects of cigarettes upon our health. Today, more than forty years later, researchers have published piles of proven materials on health hazards of smoking and have shown that this


bad habit is even more dangerous that was previously believed.

In accordance with the statistics, smoking still remains number one preventable cause of death in America, mostly because of cardiovascular disease. The more you smoke, the bigger your danger of dying of a heart attack or stroke - the average smoker is twice as likely to develop heart problems and arteriosclerosis as a non-smoker. The World Health Organisation has stated that “Smoking-related diseases are such important causes of disability and premature death in developed countries that the control of cigarette smoking could do more to improve health and prolong life in these countries than any single action in the whole field of preventive medicine.”

Many people continue to smoke because they do not experience any noticeable health problems or physical discomfort. Others think that, as the damage is already done, why to quit anyway. However, what  many people fail to realise is that the risks of smoking can be substantially reduced by cutting down or stopping the habit - even after many years of indulging in this harmful habit. The falloff in the risks is dramatic. Even in those who have already had a heart attack, the risk of a second one will be reduced by about a third just after 3 months, and by half after two years of quitting smoking.

heart and smoking Smoking greatly interferes with treatment of angina. Patients with angina have less frequent episodes after stopping smoking in as little as 6 to 8 weeks. In addition, the prescribed medication becomes more effective. Even smokers who suffer from heart-related chest pains also benefit when they quit smoking. Already after a few weeks, they usually see a drop in their heart rates and some improvements in the electrocardiogram test results.

The best way to quit is to stop at once and forever. That is the best thing you can do for your future and the health of your heart!

John Burke

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Posted on September 7, 2007 
Filed Under Smoking and Health

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