Smoking cigarettes increases your "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, and reduces your "good" cholesterol, or HDL. As the American Heart Association states, "Your diet, weight, physical activity and exposure to tobacco smoke all affect your cholesterol level."
What Is Cholesterol?
According to FamilyDoctor.org, the website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the body that protects nerves, produces certain hormones and creates cell tissues. Cholesterol can also be introduced into the body directly from foods you eat, such as eggs, meat and dairy products.
Types of Cholesterol Affected by Smoking
There are two main types of cholesterol, which travel through the bloodstream in bundles called lipoproteins.
Low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs, deliver cholesterol to the bloodstream. LDLs are also known as "bad" cholesterol.
High-density lipoproteins, or HDLs, remove cholesterol from the bloodstream. HDLs are also known as "good" cholesterol.
It is well-established that smoking increases LDL levels and decreases HDL levels.
Dangers of High LDL and Low HDL for Smokers
A buildup of cholesterol in the bloodstream is called plaque. Plaque causes arteries to narrow and harden, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. A deposit of plaque can also split open and lead to a blood clot.
If an artery that supplies blood to the heart becomes blocked, it can result in a heart attack. If an artery that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked, it can result in a stroke.
Since smoking increases bad cholesterol and reduces good cholesterol, smokers increase their chances of suffering a heart attack or a stroke.
Smoking, Cholesterol and Heart Health
In addition to raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol, smoking is bad for the heart in a number of other ways. According to Heartpoint.com, smoking creates free radicals, which "oxidize" LDLs and create an even more dangerous form of bad cholesterol.
Smoking also raises your blood pressure by causing your body to release adrenalin, which makes your blood vessels constrict and your heart beat faster. Cigarette smoking aggravates and speeds up atheosclerosis as well.
Considerations
The research is unequivocal. Smoking raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. It is bad for your heart. And it is bad for the hearts of those around smokers. Research has shown anywhere from a 20- to 50-percent higher risk of heart attacks for spouses who are married to smokers. Secondhand smoke is harmful to the health of the kids of smokers as well.
