More on Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

Although most of us think that smoking is only bad for the lungs since it can cause chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, the link between smoking and heart disease is currently well-established. In fact, cigarette smoke is implicated as the major contributor to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular conditions! It is estimated that at least 20 percent of all heart disease deaths in our country are associated with smoking.

The more cigarettes smokers puff, the greater their risk of contracting cardiovascular problems is. In addition, a longer smoking history is directly linked to a higher probability of dying from heart attack. Those who habitually smoke a pack of cigarettes daily almost double their risk of having myocardial infarction, in comparison with non-smokers. Smoking women who also use oral contraceptives more than triple their risk of developing stroke, contracting peripheral vascular disease, and dying from heart attack.

Unfortunately, cigarette fumes also damage the health of non-smokers. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is associated with an increased incidence of heart conditions. Passive smoking is extremely harmful for everybody’s cardiovascular health, and especially that of children. In addition to heart disease, second-hand tobacco smoke can trigger the development of respiratory diseases and a variety of cancers. Experts say that over 35,000 non-smoking people succumb to cardiovascular disease as a direct consequence of their exposure to ETS.

How does cigarette smoking damage the heart? First of all, it decreases the supply of oxygen to the heart muscles, which elevates blood pressure and speeds the heart rate. Secondly, smoking damages the cells of blood vessels, including those of coronary arteries. Another harmful effect of cigarettes smoke is in an increased risk of blood clotting.

The good news is that quitting smoking will greatly benefit your heart health. After stopping consuming tobacco for only one year, your risk of dying from heart attack is reduced in half. And a 15-year period of cigarette abstinence lowers your risks of developing cardiovascular problems to that of people who never smoked a single cigarette!

Quit now!

Jimmy Edwards