Approximately 24 million men and 21 million women smoke, according to American Heart Association (AHA). These people face a greater risk of stroke or heart attack than non-smokers, among a multitude of other diseases. Knowing the possible health risks may help convince smokers quit, thus improving the quality of their lives.
Cancer
Cancer is more prevalent among smokers than non-smokers, with 90 percent of lung cancers due to this habit, according to Netdoctor. The number of cigarettes a person smokes each day, along with the number of years one has smoked, determines a person's risk factor for lung cancer.
Smoking remains a risk factor for a variety of other cancers as well, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). These include mouth and throat cancer, cancer of the voice box and esophageal cancer. It may also cause bladder and cervical cancer, along with kidney, stomach and pancreatic cancer.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
COPD is an umbrella term for a number of conditions that block airflow, making breathing difficult. Netdoctor states that smoking proves the most common cause of COPD and is responsible for 80 percent of the diagnoses.
The two most common conditions falling under this term are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema damages the air sacs of the lungs, resulting in breathlessness. It often progresses and becomes debilitating making the smallest of tasks almost impossible to complete.
Chronic bronchitis lasts at least three months, causing a constant cough that produces mucus. Those who smoke long term have the greatest risk of developing COPD, which in some cases proves fatal, according to the ACS.
Cardiovascular Disease
Netdoctor states that cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death due to smoking, with the ACS adding that smokers prove twice as likely than non-smokers to die from a heart attack.
Smoking causes a variety of diseases, including coronary thrombosis. A blood clot that forms in the arteries responsible for supplying blood to the heart, this condition can result in a heart attack, with 30 percent of cases caused by smoking, according to Netdoctor.
The ACS explains that smoking adversely affects the walls of the arteries leading to the brain; this can lead to a stroke. Men who suffer from this blood vessel disease may also suffer from erectile dysfunction--also known as impotence--since blood flow to the penis is affected as well.
