Nearly one in five deaths that occur in the United States are due to smoking. Smoking causes more deaths than HIV, murder, alcohol and motor vehicle accidents combined, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.
Lung Cancer
Ninety percent of all lung cancer deaths in men are caused by smoking. The carcinogens and chemicals that are in cigarettes damage the cells of the lungs. As the cells of the lungs are repeatedly exposed to these carcinogens, the cells begin to grow abnormally and develop into cancer. The five-year potential survival of a patient with lung cancer is only 15.7 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. There are higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals in U.S. brand cigarettes than in foreign brands, according to the CDC.
Heart Disease
The CDC notes that smokers have a two- to six-times greater risk of developing heart disease compared to that of a non-smoker. Nicotine is a potent vasoconstrictor and narrows the coronary arteries every time a smoker lights up. It also raises the blood pressure and increases the heart rate. This chronic elevation of blood pressure can result in chronic high blood pressure.
The National Institute of Health reports that arteries stiffen twice as fast in smokers compared to non-smokers. This means that aging of the arteries is accelerated. This stiffening of the arteries can narrow the lumen of the coronary arteries and diminish the blood supply of the heart. This effect is not limited to the arteries of the heart. The arteries in the extremities, particularly the legs, are also affected and can cause symptoms of pain with exertion in the calf muscles.
COPD
Smoking damages the airways and causes emphysema or COPD. When the small airways called the alveoli are damaged repeatedly, the walls that separate the alveoli are destroyed. Over time, large compartments form within the lungs, with the continued destruction of the alveoli walls. These compartments trap air in the lungs and air exchange is impeded. The patient with COPD will be short of breath and have a round, barrel-like chest due to hyper-inflated lungs. Many patients with COPD go on to need chronic oxygen therapy.
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Smoking and Tobacco Use
- National Cancer Institute. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control Online Newsroom: CDC Finds Higher Levels of Cancer Causing Chemicals from U.S. Brand Cigarettes
- National Institutes of Health: Arteries Age Twice as Fast in Smokers
