How does smoking cause heart disease? The facts are unequivocally established.
The Pacific International Hospital’s medical director and chief of cardiology, Dr Venkita S Suresh, said: “Smoking damages the lining of your coronary arteries, leading to a build-up of fatty material (atheroma) which narrows the artery.
“This can cause angina (chest pain) and eventually a heart attack. The carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. This means your heart has to pump harder to supply the body with the oxygen it needs.”
Dr Suresh explained that the nicotine in cigarettes stimulates your body to produce adrenaline, which makes your heart beat faster and raises your blood pressure, making your heart work harder.
“Your blood is more likely to clot, which increases your risk of having a heart attack,” stated the cardiologist.
“Smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack compared with people who have never smoked.
“When non-smokers breathe in second-hand smoke – also known as passive smoking – it can be harmful. Research shows that exposure to second hand tobacco smoke is a cause of heart disease in non-smokers, which means you could be harming the health of your children, partner and friends.”
A recent report in The Lancet, one of the most reputed medical journals in the world, reported worrying findings.
In 2015, smoking caused more than one in ten deaths worldwide, killing more than 6 million people with a global loss of nearly 150 million disability-adjusted life-years.
Stopping smoking has huge benefits and it’s never too late to give up.
Saying no to smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, and the good news is that the risk to your heart health decreases significantly soon after you stop.
Quit smoking, live to a long, happy and healthy age!