Smoking and the Effects on the Heart

The Surgeon General has called it "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States." Smoking is among the top preventable risk factors of heart disease amongst many other health problems. Coronary heart disease and strokes are the primary types of cardiovascular disease caused by smoking. They rank as the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. More than 61 million Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. Smoking increases your risk for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and aneurysms to name a few. More than 2,600 Americans die every day from cardiovascular diseases.

To function effectively, the heart needs a constant supply and flow of blood. Coronary heart disease is the term that describes conditions caused when the blood flow is interrupted or slowed. The most common cause of this is atherosclerosis; a build up of fatty deposits and plaque in the arteries, or blot clots. Depending on the sever ness of such a blockage, it can cause anything from minor chest pain to a fatal heart attack. This can damage and weaken the heart permanently even after a recovery. It’s estimated that nearly smoking causes one-fifth of the deaths from heart disease. Smoking is the most important risk factor for young men and women. It produces a greater relative risk in people under 50.

Cigarette smoking, raised blood cholesterol and high blood pressure are the among the top non?hereditary risk factors leading to Coronary heart disease, with cigarette smoking being the at the top of the list. Every smoker has an increased risk for heart disease, and the younger you are the greater the risk if you continue to smoke. Compared to a non-smoker, smokers have two to three times the risk for heart attacks and up to four times the risk of dying from cardiac arrest. On top of that, if you also have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, your risk escalates up to eight times. Smoking-related coronary heart disease can also contribute to heart failure. It is estimated that 4.6 million Americans have congestive heart failure about 43,000 die from it per year.

Smoking creates toxins in the blood. This greatly contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material is deposited along the walls of the arteries. This fatty material thickens, hardens, and can eventually block the arteries if not treated. Clots may also form around the plaque deposits. Smoking raises the levels of proteins that cause the blood to clot and also increases platelet production, making the blood stickier which further creates risk for clots. This also interferes with the blood flow and poses an added danger if they were to break off and travel through the body causeing assorted health problems such as heart attack, stroke, or gangrene.

As soon as you begin to smoke, you cause immediate health risks. Within one minute of smoking, the heart rate rises significantly, as much as 30% in the first 10 minutes. Nicotine also raises blood pressure. Blood vessels constrict, forcing the heart to work harder. This makes it more difficult for the oxygenated blood to be pumped efficiently to the rest of the body. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke also diminishes the blood’s ability to carry oxygen in the blood. It attaches itself to hemoglobin much more easily than oxygen does. Hemoglobin is what carries oxygen in the blood. Also, Smoking decreases HDL, or good cholesterol. It also increases LDL, bad cholesterol. The more combined factors the greater the risk for developing heart disease.

Aneurysms are also more common among smokers than non-smokers. An aneurysm is a ballooning of the wall of an artery, which can lead to bursting or clotting. Smoking weakens the walls of the arteries, increasing the risk of developing an aneurysm. An Aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery of the heart, the aorta. This is a life threatening condition more common in smokers than non-smokers. Smokers are very much more likely to die from a ruptured aneurysm.

Smokers also have a 16 times greater risk of developing peripheral vascular disease than people who do not smoke. Peripheral vascular disease is when there are blocked blood vessels in the legs or feet. Ignoring warning signs of this condition can lead to gangrene in the area of the blockage. Surgery can be done, however PVD can lead to amputation in many cases and possibly death if not treated in time.

Buerger’s disease is a rare form of PVD. It most commonly affects the small and medium-sized arteries, veins, and nerves of the arms and legs. There is a very strong connection between tobacco use and the disease. It most commonly occurs in young male smokers, before the ago of 40. The only way to treat and prevent the disease is to abstain from all forms of tobacco.

Although