Smoking
Smoking is one of the main
causes of premature death in the United States today. Smoking
more than doubles your risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact,
the biggest threat from cigarettes isn't lung cancer or emphysema --
it's heart disease. According to the American Heart Association
504,000 people in the United States die of heart disease each year and
1/3 of all of those are smoking related deaths.
Cigarette smoking is so widespread and significant as a risk factor
that the Surgeon General has called it "the leading preventable cause
of disease and deaths in the United States." Smoking increases
blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency
for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent
coronary heart disease after bypass surgery.
Smoking is a fast and very efficient way to rapidly deliver nicotine
into the bloodstream. The nicotine in cigarette smoke sets off a rush
of adrenalin, providing a pleasant shot of energy. But while you're
enjoying a lift, your heart is being damaged. Adrenalin speeds up your
heart rate and makes your arteries squeeze tight. Your blood pressure
may rise slightly, putting extra strain on your heart. In addition,
carbon monoxide inhaled through smoking robs the body of needed
oxygen. Red blood cells are quicker to pounce on that poisonous
gas and bind to it rather than the needed oxygen.
Still worse, the chemicals in tobacco smoke have a toxic effect on the
lining of the blood vessels and accelerate the development of
atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material
(plaque) is deposited along the walls of arteries. The toxins in the
blood cause damage to the inner lining of the arteries and cause the
arteries to become inflamed which then causes the fatty material in the
blood to thicken, stick to the artery walls, harden the artery walls
and may eventually block blood flow all together. There is also
the associated risk that chunks of plaque (fatty material) could break
away and clog an artery or cause stroke. Smoking also hastens the
breakdown, or oxidation, of certain fats or lipids (LDL or "bad"
cholesterol in particular). This process increases blood clotting as
well as the presence of inflammatory substances in the blood.
Many smokers, in fact, are on a shortcut to a heart attack. If plaque
starts clogging the arteries that feed the heart -- a condition known
as coronary heart disease -- the organ can become starved for oxygen.
This can cause severe chest pain (angina). If an artery becomes
completely clogged, part of the heart will shut down. Doctors call this
a myocardial infarction, but it's better known as a heart attack.