Stop Smoking Help

Smoking and Heart Disease

Smoking not only increases your chances of getting cancer, emphysema, heart attacks, and other ailments, but also makes you vulnerable to heart disease as well. Each year in the United States, approximately 20% of all deaths associated with heart disease are directly linked to smoking. It is estimated that 35,000 people die each year from heart disease from having been exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.

How does cigarette smoke affect the heart?
When smokers inhale tobacco smoke, they are inhaling carbon dioxide, chemicals and other gases instead of breathing in oxygen. Over an extended period of time, the inhalation of carbon dioxide and other gases can cause atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. This accumulation of fatty deposits (also referred to as plaque) can clog the arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart, and hence, preventing an adequate amount of oxygen to reach the heart. Plaque can lead to blood clotting, high blood pressure and increased heart rate. It is well-known that individuals with severely blocked arteries are subject to heart attacks.

If I smoke, what are my chances of getting heart disease?
No matter how much or how little you smoke, smoking and heart disease are still a package deal. However, it stands to reason that a person who smokes 2 or more packs a day is significantly more at risk of acquiring heart disease or suffering a heart attack than the person who smokes but a few cigarettes a day.
Studies show that people who smoke about a pack a day are twice as much at risk of heart attack than non-smokers. Women who smoke while taking birth control pills also greatly increase their chances of having a heart attack.

Benefits from Quitting Smoking
To quit smoking is the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure. The moment you quit, your system begins to improve.

Below is a brief summary of the gradual changes your body undergoes when you stop smoking:

• After 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse decreases
• After 8 hours: Oxygen levels in the blood increase
• After 24 hours: Risk of heart attack decreases
• Between 2 weeks and 3 months: Circulation improves
• After 1 year: Risk of heart disease is reduced to half that of a smoker
• After 15 years: Risk of heart disease is reduced to that of a person who has never smoked

Research shows that smoking and heart disease are directly linked, but it is in your power to break this link by stubbing that cigarette.

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