Heart Disease Connection with Smoking: Impact and Motives for Cessation
Smoking has been identified as a significant risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), contributing to thousands of deaths each year in the United States.
According to recent studies, smoking can cause the cells lining blood vessels to become swollen and inflamed, leading to CVDs such as coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
One of the primary mechanisms behind this increased risk is atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque forms on artery walls, making them harden and narrow. This process is accelerated by smoking, potentially by up to 10-15 years compared to non-smokers.
PAD, a common result of atherosclerosis, often manifests with symptoms such as discomfort, cramping, fatigue, pain, and aching in the leg and hip muscles while walking. Untreated PAD can lead to tissue death, gangrene, and amputation.
A particularly concerning finding is that female smokers are more likely to die from abdominal aortic aneurysms than their male counterparts.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 647,000 deaths annually. Smoking accounts for about 2 in 10 of these deaths. In fact, nearly 8 million Americans have heart disease, and nearly 8 million have had a heart attack.
Moreover, the risk of CVDs increases with the number of cigarettes a person smokes per day and the number of years they smoke.
Quitting smoking can significantly reduce these risks. Within 20 minutes after quitting, heart health begins to improve, with significant benefits accumulating over weeks to months. Over long periods, such as 10 to 15 years after cessation, the risk of cardiovascular diseases declines substantially and may approach that of non-smokers.
It's important to note that choosing low-nicotine and low-tar cigarettes does not reduce a person's risk. Within 5 years, most smokers lower their risk of stroke to levels that match those of nonsmokers.
Therefore, stopping smoking is the most effective way to reduce the elevated cardiovascular risks caused by smoking and to improve long-term heart and vascular health.
References:
[1] American Heart Association. (2021). The Impact of Smoking on Heart Health. [online] Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/quit-smoking/the-impact-of-smoking-on-heart-health
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/cardiovascular/index.htm
[3] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Smoking and Heart Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/smoking/art-20048172
[4] National Institutes of Health. (2021). Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/smoking-and-cardiovascular-disease
[5] World Health Organization. (2021). Tobacco and Cardiovascular Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco-and-cardiovascular-disease
- Smoking is a significant risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including stroke and heart disease.
- The cells lining blood vessels can become swollen and inflamed due to smoking, contributing to CVDs.
- Atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque forms on artery walls, is accelerated by smoking and can lead to CVDs such as coronary artery disease.
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common result of atherosclerosis, often manifests with symptoms like discomfort, cramping, and pain in the leg and hip muscles.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms pose a particular concern for female smokers, who are more likely to die from this condition than male smokers.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with smoking contributing to approximately 20% of these deaths.
- Heart attacks are tragically common among both smokers and those who have had heart disease.
- The risk of CVDs increases with the number of cigarettes a person smokes per day and the number of years they smoke.
- Quitting smoking can significantly improve heart health and reduce the risks of CVDs, with benefits accumulating over weeks to months.
- After quitting smoking, heart health begins to improve as quickly as within 20 minutes.
- Even if a person chooses low-nicotine and low-tar cigarettes, their risk is still significantly elevated.
- Over long periods, such as 10 to 15 years after cessation, the risk of cardiovascular diseases declines substantially and may approach that of non-smokers.
- Science has consistently shown that stopping smoking is the most effective way to reduce the elevated cardiovascular risks caused by smoking.
- Beyond its impact on cardiovascular health, smoking is also linked to chronic diseases such as chronic-kidney-disease, COPD, Type-2-diabetes, and cancer.
- It's crucial to maintain overall health-and-wellness, including eye-health, hearing, digestive-health, and fitness-and-exercise, along with addressing autoimmune-disorders, migraines, neurological-disorders, breast-cancer, and skin-conditions to lead a healthy life.
