The Centers for Disease Control says that smoking causes heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Smokers have two to four times the risk of heart disease compared with non-smokers. Smoking directly affects heart rate and blood pressure, and over time, damage to the blood vessels from smoking forces the heart to work harder. Even secondhand smoke can increase the risk of heart attack.
Immediate Effects
Cigarette smoke in the lungs rapidly disseminates through the body, with immediate but temporary effects on the heart. The nicotine in cigarettes triggers the release of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Epinephrine increases the heart rate and constricts blood vessels, driving up blood pressure. The effects of nicotine are so powerful that smoking while wearing a nicotine patch can overload the heart and cause a heart attack, according to Harvard Health.
Blood Vessel Damage
The chemicals in tobacco damage blood vessels, narrowing them and robbing them of elasticity. Damage to the blood vessels allows the buildup of fatty residues inside them, a condition known as atherosclerosis, a "chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking," according to the American Heart Association. Blood vessel damage ultimately damages the heart by raising blood pressure, forcing the heart to exert itself continuously to continue to supply tissues with adequate blood flow.
Heart Damage
In addition to the added strain on the heart resulting from increased blood pressure, tobacco use also decreases levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, says the American Heart Association, thus exacerbating heart problems. Smoking damages all blood vessels, including the coronary arteries that feed the heart, raising the risk of heart attacks. Smoking damages the heart but also is a factor in other areas that independently contribute to heart disease, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, and developing a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, as smokers tend to exercise less than non-smokers.
Secondhand Smoke
In their February 2009 article in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," Dr. John Alsever and colleagues reported that establishing a law banning smoking in all public buildings correlated with a 41 percent decrease in the number of heart attack patients in the surrounding hospitals over the next three years. The authors speculate based on this and data from similar studies that the reduction in secondhand smoke exposure significantly reduced the risk of heart attacks among non-smokers.
Quitting
The Canadian Lung Association lists some benefits of quitting smoking on heart health. As quickly as 48 hours after quitting, an ex-smoker's risk of heart attack starts to ebb. Within one year, the risk has been cut in half and after 15 years, ex-smokers have the same heart attack risk as people who have never smoked.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Smoking and Tobacco Use
- Harvard Health: Nicotine Patch and Blood Pressure
- American Heart Association: Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular diseases
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; R.N. Alsever et al.; Reduced hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction after implementation of a smoke-free city ordinance-city of Pueblo, Colorado, 2002-2006; February 2009.
- The Canadian Lung Association: Benefits of Quitting Smoking
