Smoking and Heart Disease Todd A.
Hoover, MD, DHt Heart disease is one of the most deadly health effects of cigarette smoking. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States, and cigarette smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease than others.i Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of chemical toxins that quickly enter the bloodstream through the lung tissue. These chemicals can constrict blood vessels, cause blood to be more sticky (so that it clots more easily), and over time cause hardening of the arteries. Your arteries deliver freshly oxygenated blood to all of the tissues around the body. As these arteries begin to constrict over time, damage can begin to occur because circulation to various body parts now becomes a problem. Cigarette related blood vessel narrowing will produce problems in many body parts.
Body Part Coronary Arteries Legs and Feet Genital Arteries Eyes Brain Aorta
Associated Problem Heart Attacks Peripheral Artery Disease Erectile Dysfunction Macular Degeneration Strokes Aneurysms
In reality, the chemicals will affect more or less all of the arteries throughout the body. Because certain organs are more sensitive to the amount of oxygen delivered each minute, they will be the ones to develop the symptoms first. Peripheral Artery Disease is very common in smokers. Narrowing of the large and small arteries in all parts of the legs will decrease oxygen to the muscles. If you have this problem, you will begin to develop pain as you walk or run. Typically, the pain is burning or sharp, and will improve if you sit for a few minutes to rest. While this is similar to muscle cramping, the frequency is much more predictable. Usually, people with peripheral artery disease will be able to predict how much exertion will bring on the pain (for many people with this problem they will note pain after 2-3 blocks of steady walking).
Strokes and aneurysms are much more serious problems. These health issues typically occur without warning and with severe effects. If you are a smoker, and have symptoms of other artery problems in the body, you should be examined by your primary care medical provider. Presence of artery problems anywhere in the body can raise your risk for heart attack or stroke. Your health care provider can easily test for these types of problems before they develop. The best way to avoid smoking related heart attacks and other blood vessel related problems is to stop smoking. The good news is that studies show that 5 15 years after stopping, prior smokers reduce their risk for stroke steadily to the level of [Link] Smoking causes daily, ongoing, and sustained damage to your arteries. Stopping now is your best path to better health and wellness. Using a qualified therapist, health coach or physician in your path to quitting will be a tremendous support to your success.
The health consequences of smoking: a report of the Surgeon General. [Atlanta, Ga.]: Dept. of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; Washington, D.C.: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 2004.
ii
Ibid.
