In the United States, approximately 24 million men and 21 million women smoke, according to the American Heart Association. These men and women may either be unaware of the adverse affects their habit has on their health, or are so addicted they feel like a prisoner to their habit. Knowing the facts, however, may just help give them the motivation they need to put the last cigarette down and out for good.
Lung Cancer
Ninety percent of lung cancer deaths in men, and 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women, are due to smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop or die from lung cancer than nonsmokers, and this risk increases the longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes he smokes each day. The good news is this: Those who quit and remain smoke-free for a period of 10 years or more reduce their risk of death by half over those who choose to continue smoking.
Emphysema
Emphysema is a lung disease that falls under the term of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). The most common cause for emphysema is smoking, and this lung disease accounts for 3 million of the 20 million cases of COPD, according to the Emphysema Organization.
Emphysema results in damage to the air sacs of the lungs, resulting in breathlessness. As the American Cancer Society (ACS) explains, it is an ongoing illness that only becomes worse over time. In some cases, it is fatal.
Cardiovascular Disease
The ACS reports that smokers are twice as likely to die from a heart attack than nonsmokers. Smoking causes fatty buildup in the arteries carrying blood to the heart. As these arteries become more narrow, blood flow is blocked to the heart, which ultimately results in a heart attack.
In addition, those who smoke face a greater risk factor for a narrowing of the vessels carrying blood to the muscles of the arms and legs. The risk of stroke is also higher for smokers, as this habit constricts the blood vessels leading to the brain.
Impotence
Men who smoke face a greater risk of suffering from impotence than nonsmoking men due to blood vessel disease, according to the ACS. As the blood vessels of the arms and legs begin to constrict and narrow, blood flow is cut off from the penis. This results in an inability to achieve or maintain an erection. In some cases, a man may experience problems with erectile dysfunction prior to other cardiovascular problems.
