The harms of smoking: why is the heart in danger?
Smoking is not only harmful to the lungs, but also to the heart. Here are what are its negative effects on the cardiovascular system By now we know: smoking seriously harms your health. Smoking is one of the leading causes of bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, recurrent respiratory infections and lung cancer; it also promotes skin aging and damages numerous organs, increasing the risk of bladder, liver, pancreas, larynx and esophageal cancer, and can damage the kidneys and retina. But there's more: smoking, in fact, is also bad for the heart and arteries.
Smoking and cardiovascular risk
In fact, tobacco smoking is also a major cause of cardiovascular disease. According to available data, more than 1 in 10 deaths from heart or artery problems among those worldwide in the year 2000 alone were caused by smoking itself. The effect of smoking is independent of that of other causes of cardiovascular problems; in other words, even in the absence of other risk factors (such as high cholesterol), a smoker's heart is in greater danger than that of a nonsmoker. However, smoking also influences other cardiovascular risk factors (for example, blood lipid levels, but also hypertension and diabetes). The action of smoking on other cardiovascular risk factors is multiplicative. For example, it is estimated that if smoking alone doubles the level of risk the simultaneous presence of another major cardiovascular risk factor leads to quadrupling it, while the presence of two other risk factors increases it 6-fold compared to that run by a nonsmoker.
The mechanisms of action of smoking
Within tobacco smoke there are more than 4 thousand chemical substances. One of the most dangerous is tar, which in turn contains carcinogens and irritants, but the negative effects of nicotine should not be underestimated either: in addition to being addictive, this substance also affects the cardiovascular system. Today it is known that nicotine and oxidizing substances in smoke damage the tissue that internally lines the wall of the arteries. In addition, smoking underlies the onset of a state of chronic inflammation that contributes to the process of atherosclerosis [insert link to special content: "Atherosclerosis: meaning, causes, symptoms, and treatment"] and increases the risk of blood clots forming, which can clog the arteries by restricting or blocking blood flow. Finally, smoking alters blood lipid levels, raising triglycerides and reducing, instead, "good" cholesterol.
How to protect the heart from smoking
The best way to protect the heart from all these negative effects is to never start smoking. It is never too late to quit either: quitting cigarettes forever reduces the risks taken even by those living with coronary artery disease. There is no shortage of methods for quitting: from those based on the use of nicotine products or other substances that help combat withdrawal symptoms to psychological support, there are options suitable for a wide variety of cases. To further reduce cardiovascular risk, it may also be helpful to take medications or supplements that help control cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Talking about these with your doctor can help you see if they might be suitable for your case.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US); Office on Smoking and Health (US). Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); 2010.How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General.
MedlinePlus. Thrombus. https://goo.gl/bCLmVT. 11/06/18
Ministry of Health. Directorate General of Health Prevention. January 5, 2018. HARM FROM TOBACCO USE.
Ministry of Health. www.salute.gov. Smoking. https://goo.gl/uSQyFL. 11/06718 Image: Pixabay
