Most people associate cigarette smoking mainly with respiratory problems and lung cancer. However, smoking is also one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease.
Up to 20 per cent of all deaths from heart disease in the USA are directly linked to cigarette smoking.
Smoking as a major cause of heart disease
Smoking is a major cause of non-ischaemic heart disease. In combination with other risk factors such as an unhealthy lifestyle, high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure, it further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk of heart disease and heart attack increases as the number of cigarettes smoked increases. Smokers have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Passive smoking - does it harm your health?
Passive smoking (i.e. being in the company of smokers ) is not harmless to health either. It can cause chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and heart disease.
The nicotine present in the smoke, along with chemicals, causes heart disease through:
- decreasing oxygen delivery to the heart,
- increasing blood pressure and heart rate,
- increased blood clotting.
These substances lower HDL cholesterol (called 'good' cholesterol) andraise LDL cholesterol ('bad' cholesterol).Smoking also increases triglycerides. They can cause heart rhythm disturbances. It also damages blood vessel walls, which promotes atherosclerosis. Smoking also contributes to peripheral artery disease - symptoms range from stopping chroma to sensory disturbances and limb ulcers.
People who smoke cigars appear to have a higher risk of death from ischaemic heart disease , but their risk is not as great as for tobacco smokers. This is probably because they do not inhale smoke like cigarette smokers.
Smoking has a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. It contributes to arteriosclerosis, increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure and dangerous arrhythmias.
