Oprah.com /Oprah Radio: The Dangerous Effects of Smoking
Dr. Oz: The Latest Secrets to Quit Smoking
AHA : Cigarette Smoking, Cardiovascular Disease, and Stroke
Dr. Oz: The Latest Secrets to Quit Smoking
AHA : Cigarette Smoking, Cardiovascular Disease, and Stroke
The Effects of Smoking on Heart Health and on the Progression of Coronary Heart Disease.
We all keep hearing, again and again, that smoking is "bad for you", actually, cigarette smoking accounts for nearly one in every five deaths in the United States, each year. That is a very easy thing to say for a non-smoker. But, if you happen to be a smoker who enjoys his hourly cigarette, you can hardly believe or even conceive that a peaceful activity such as smoking a cigarette on your patio chair can have such bad or harmful effects on your life expectancy. These effects lead to smoking-induced diseases like coronary heart disease (also called coronary artery disease) and others. You may wonder if there is any truth to this saying that smoking cigarettes, smoking cigars or smoking pipe harms your arteries, jeopardizes your cardiovascular health and may cause heart attacks and death. Just what are the data and the evidence on WHY and HOW smoking is harmful to coronary health? In order to find out, we will first take a look at how CHD and heart attacks develop, then we will look at the physiological and biochemical effects of smoke and, finally, we will confirm the data with numbers from "Meta" epidemiological studies.
In order to keep your engine running, the muscle of the heart (called Myocardium) must itself be supplied with oxygen-rich blood. It is the job of the coronary arteries to irrigate the heart muscle. Those are mainly the right coronary artery, the left coronary artery and a derivative called the circumflex coronary artery. These, in turn branch into smaller vessels called arterioles. In children, these vessels are very elastic or pliable. The inside passageway (or lumen) is then free of obstructive debris and other unwanted material. Those arteries perform perfectly. But, as time goes by, we subject the cells that line the inside of our arteries (the endothelium) to all kinds of stresses, mechanical and chemical stresses. View the endothelium like skin tissue, but on the inside. It forms a thin, indeed a VERY THIN and fragile membrane between us and the materials that we absorb and that are carried in the blood. Like skin, it reacts. Skin may react to a physical stress like sunburn. It may also react to a chemical stress like the abrasive action of a chemical. You can then see the result: red patches on the skin, indicative of inflammation. The same applies to the arteries, except for the fact that any arterial damage due to inhaled toxic chemicals is not visible to us. We cannot see the inflamed tissue and cannot even feel the damage, so we go about as if it did not exist.
When the inside lining of the coronary arteries is damaged or inflamed, gaps will appear. The bad LDL-Cholesterol has a notoriously nasty habit of entering those gaps and infiltrating itself under the endothelium. It lodges itself right between the endothelium and the muscle tissue. In an attempt to fix up the mess, our immune system responds by sending macrophage cells to gobble the offending bad ldl-cholesterol. They do just that. However, on the way back, they have now become too large to escape and they get trapped under the endothelium. They die, forming, over time, an accumulation of debris that will eventually diminish the diameter of the passageway. This shrinking is called stenosis. Other constituents like calcium will also add themselves to the debris. This accumulation is called coronary plaque. In the end, the artery wall becomes harder. This hardening of the arteries is called sclerosis, hence the word atherosclerosis.
This is when it becomes dangerous. Plaque has a very nasty habit of becoming sometimes unstable and to rupture under the right circumstances. When plaque ruptures, your body will attempt to repair the injury : blood will start to clot in order to "patch" the injury, like on your skin. The arterial blood supply system is not the best of places for a blood clot to form since it may lead to a blockage of blood flow, called an infarct. When that happens, the muscle cells irrigated by this artery start to die…This is an outright heart attack that may lead to death or serious impairment.
The four main contributors that have caused this are: inflammation of the arteries, plaque build-up leading to coronary heart disease, plaque rupture and finally the development of a blood clot. Let us look at what happens when smoking is added to the picture.
When the inside lining of the coronary arteries is damaged or inflamed, gaps will appear. The bad LDL-Cholesterol has a notoriously nasty habit of entering those gaps and infiltrating itself under the endothelium. It lodges itself right between the endothelium and the muscle tissue. In an attempt to fix up the mess, our immune system responds by sending macrophage cells to gobble the offending bad ldl-cholesterol. They do just that. However, on the way back, they have now become too large to escape and they get trapped under the endothelium. They die, forming, over time, an accumulation of debris that will eventually diminish the diameter of the passageway. This shrinking is called stenosis. Other constituents like calcium will also add themselves to the debris. This accumulation is called coronary plaque. In the end, the artery wall becomes harder. This hardening of the arteries is called sclerosis, hence the word atherosclerosis.
This is when it becomes dangerous. Plaque has a very nasty habit of becoming sometimes unstable and to rupture under the right circumstances. When plaque ruptures, your body will attempt to repair the injury : blood will start to clot in order to "patch" the injury, like on your skin. The arterial blood supply system is not the best of places for a blood clot to form since it may lead to a blockage of blood flow, called an infarct. When that happens, the muscle cells irrigated by this artery start to die…This is an outright heart attack that may lead to death or serious impairment.
The four main contributors that have caused this are: inflammation of the arteries, plaque build-up leading to coronary heart disease, plaque rupture and finally the development of a blood clot. Let us look at what happens when smoking is added to the picture.
There are a little over 4,000 known chemicals in tobacco smoke. Most of those chemicals are, to different degrees and depending on the doses, toxic or poison to human tissues. Of course, while smoking one cigarette you are not supplying your body with a huge amount. That is the catch. After three decades, you will have repeated this over a quarter of a million times. The cumulative effect explains why, for average smokers, your chances of having serious cardiovascular problems are almost DOUBLED, they are increased by + 70%. In heavier smokers, you chances of ending up in big trouble are increased by 200% to 300%. Thanks to the regular supply of all those heart disease-inducing chemicals. How is that?
- SMOKING induces INFLAMMATION of the endothelium. Those who smoke will recall what happens to their throat the morning after a party or event when they smoked too much. Your voice is deeper and your throat is sore, due to inflammation. Don't think your coronary arteries are not inflamed, you just can't feel it. Perfect time for LDL-Cholesterol to go and see what lies under the endothelium of you coronary arteries. An excellent (though technical) article can be found on this topic in The British Medical Journal: "Acute Effects of Cigarette Smoke on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress". Inflammation, as we have discussed, is a cause of coronary heart disease. Chronic smoking may cause (probably does in most people) a silent state of chronic arterial inflammation. Of course inflammation is a consequence of smoking that causes the development of CHD by promoting the build-up of plaque.
- SMOKING INCREASES MECHANICAL ARTERIAL STRESS DUE TO INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE AND INCREASED HEART RATE. In cigarette or tobacco smoke, among the many chemicals responsible for blood pressure increase, are principally Nicotine, Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide. It may take up to 30 minutes for your blood pressure to go down after a cigarette. Walking about with a generally increased blood pressure contributes to the development of Atherosclerosis and may be a major contributing factor in plaque rupture leading to a heart attack. An effect of smoking you would rather do without.
- SMOKING IMPAIRS VASODILATION, or the relaxation of the arteries irrigating your heart. Arteries in good health are capable of relaxing. The relaxation process depends on Nitrous Oxide, the release happens at the endothelial level. Smoking interferes with this mechanism. The net result is that your heart has to work harder all the time due to more constricted arteries.
- SMOKING INCREASES THE RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS. Of course, if you already are a cardiac sufferer, this is one predicament you would want to avoid at all cost. You do not need in your blood the presence of chemicals that may just trigger a cardiac event because they increase the chances of a blood clot being formed suddenly and obstructing a coronary artery. This is an effect of smoking you'd better do without.
- SMOKING induces INFLAMMATION of the endothelium. Those who smoke will recall what happens to their throat the morning after a party or event when they smoked too much. Your voice is deeper and your throat is sore, due to inflammation. Don't think your coronary arteries are not inflamed, you just can't feel it. Perfect time for LDL-Cholesterol to go and see what lies under the endothelium of you coronary arteries. An excellent (though technical) article can be found on this topic in The British Medical Journal: "Acute Effects of Cigarette Smoke on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress". Inflammation, as we have discussed, is a cause of coronary heart disease. Chronic smoking may cause (probably does in most people) a silent state of chronic arterial inflammation. Of course inflammation is a consequence of smoking that causes the development of CHD by promoting the build-up of plaque.
- SMOKING INCREASES MECHANICAL ARTERIAL STRESS DUE TO INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE AND INCREASED HEART RATE. In cigarette or tobacco smoke, among the many chemicals responsible for blood pressure increase, are principally Nicotine, Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide. It may take up to 30 minutes for your blood pressure to go down after a cigarette. Walking about with a generally increased blood pressure contributes to the development of Atherosclerosis and may be a major contributing factor in plaque rupture leading to a heart attack. An effect of smoking you would rather do without.
- SMOKING IMPAIRS VASODILATION, or the relaxation of the arteries irrigating your heart. Arteries in good health are capable of relaxing. The relaxation process depends on Nitrous Oxide, the release happens at the endothelial level. Smoking interferes with this mechanism. The net result is that your heart has to work harder all the time due to more constricted arteries.
- SMOKING INCREASES THE RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS. Of course, if you already are a cardiac sufferer, this is one predicament you would want to avoid at all cost. You do not need in your blood the presence of chemicals that may just trigger a cardiac event because they increase the chances of a blood clot being formed suddenly and obstructing a coronary artery. This is an effect of smoking you'd better do without.
The statements that follow, relative to the harmful effects of smoking, are based on statistical data derived from large and reliable databases.
- Smoking accounts for nearly one in every five deaths in the United States, each year.
- According to the CDC, smokers are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers. According to Quit-Smoking-Stop.org, one in two lifetime smokers will die from a disease induced by the effects of smoking.
- Statistically the risk of developing coronary heart disease or dying from it increases directly and proportionally with exposure to tobacco smoke.
- After stopping smoking, the risk associated to heart disease drops by half after the first year.
- Smoking raises blood glucose and has very harmful effects in diabetics.
Quote from the ahajournals (in "A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association") :
"As many as 30% of all coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths in the United States each year are attributable to cigarette smoking, with the risk being strongly dose-related. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke. Smoking acts synergistically with other risk factors, substantially increasing the risk of CHD. Smokers are also at increased risk for peripheral vascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and many other chronic diseases. Cigarette smoking is the single most alterable risk factor contributing to premature morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for approximately 430 000 deaths annually"
- Smoking accounts for nearly one in every five deaths in the United States, each year.
- According to the CDC, smokers are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers. According to Quit-Smoking-Stop.org, one in two lifetime smokers will die from a disease induced by the effects of smoking.
- Statistically the risk of developing coronary heart disease or dying from it increases directly and proportionally with exposure to tobacco smoke.
- After stopping smoking, the risk associated to heart disease drops by half after the first year.
- Smoking raises blood glucose and has very harmful effects in diabetics.
Quote from the ahajournals (in "A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association") :
"As many as 30% of all coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths in the United States each year are attributable to cigarette smoking, with the risk being strongly dose-related. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke. Smoking acts synergistically with other risk factors, substantially increasing the risk of CHD. Smokers are also at increased risk for peripheral vascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and many other chronic diseases. Cigarette smoking is the single most alterable risk factor contributing to premature morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for approximately 430 000 deaths annually"
There are many benefits to quitting smoking, from financial to esthetical benefits. We will concentrate only on one.
As a smoker, you ARE at risk of experiencing serious cardiovascular events, like a heart attack that may even result in sudden death. If your blood cholesterol level leaves to be desired or if your blood pressure is a bit high, you may be at either high or even very high risk. You can change your risk level. Assuming that, for example, your risk level is 32% (32% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years) , you could reduce that risk to roughly 16% by stopping smoking. Furthermore, over time, with proper medication and eating habits you could even bring your risk below that of the average population.
Figuring out how a suitable method to quit is a personal matter. In an interview on Oprah Radio, Dr. Robin Mermelstein of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois, says that acupuncture, hypnosis and going "cold turkey" are popular methods of quitting smoking, but they don't have as high of a success rate as the nicotine patch, gum and other nicotine-replacement therapies. Dr. Mermelstein says that when teamed with behavior moderation, the latter three methods can be even more successful, she says. You also need to have the right behavioral strategies. Similarly, one should recall that Dr. Oz has once suggested that you also need to figure out a way to handle the episodes of relapse.
6 - REFERENCES for this article on the effects of cigarette smoke on heart health
6.1 "Long-Term Cigarette Smoking Impairs Endothelium Dependant Vasodilator Function". American Heart Association Journals (AHAJournals.ORG)
6.2 "Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking" The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
6.3 Quit-smoking-stop.com (Quit-smoking-stop.com)
6.4 "Acute Effects of Cigarette Smoke On Inflammation and Oxidative Stress". British Medical Journal - British Thoracic Society (Group.bmj.com)
6.5 Health Canada (cdc.gov/tobacco/health/effects/heart.htm)
6.6 The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.com)
6.7 "Effects of Smoking on Human Health" - Canadian Diabetic Association (cda.org)
6.8 The United States Surgeon General / Data / Statistics (surgeongeneral.gov)
6.9 United States Department of Health and Human Services / Statistics (HHS.gov)
As a smoker, you ARE at risk of experiencing serious cardiovascular events, like a heart attack that may even result in sudden death. If your blood cholesterol level leaves to be desired or if your blood pressure is a bit high, you may be at either high or even very high risk. You can change your risk level. Assuming that, for example, your risk level is 32% (32% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years) , you could reduce that risk to roughly 16% by stopping smoking. Furthermore, over time, with proper medication and eating habits you could even bring your risk below that of the average population.
Figuring out how a suitable method to quit is a personal matter. In an interview on Oprah Radio, Dr. Robin Mermelstein of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois, says that acupuncture, hypnosis and going "cold turkey" are popular methods of quitting smoking, but they don't have as high of a success rate as the nicotine patch, gum and other nicotine-replacement therapies. Dr. Mermelstein says that when teamed with behavior moderation, the latter three methods can be even more successful, she says. You also need to have the right behavioral strategies. Similarly, one should recall that Dr. Oz has once suggested that you also need to figure out a way to handle the episodes of relapse.
6 - REFERENCES for this article on the effects of cigarette smoke on heart health
6.1 "Long-Term Cigarette Smoking Impairs Endothelium Dependant Vasodilator Function". American Heart Association Journals (AHAJournals.ORG)
6.2 "Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking" The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
6.3 Quit-smoking-stop.com (Quit-smoking-stop.com)
6.4 "Acute Effects of Cigarette Smoke On Inflammation and Oxidative Stress". British Medical Journal - British Thoracic Society (Group.bmj.com)
6.5 Health Canada (cdc.gov/tobacco/health/effects/heart.htm)
6.6 The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.com)
6.7 "Effects of Smoking on Human Health" - Canadian Diabetic Association (cda.org)
6.8 The United States Surgeon General / Data / Statistics (surgeongeneral.gov)
6.9 United States Department of Health and Human Services / Statistics (HHS.gov)
Links to trustworthy sources of information
Contents of Article
>> 1 - Introduction / Abstract
>> 2 - The Causes of Atherosclerosis
>> 3 - Effects of Smoking on Heart
>> 4 - Statistical Facts on Smoking
>> 5 - The Benefits of Quitting
>> 6 - References
>> 7 - LInks to Relevant Scientific
or Medical Publications and Associations
American Medical Association
Guide to
Preventing and Treating
Heart Disease
Guide to
Preventing and Treating
Heart Disease
Preventing and Treating
Heart Disease
by
The American Medical Association
Heart Disease
by
The American Medical Association
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The Effects of Smoking on Heart Health
This 3d Medical Art animation illustrates how the buildup of coronary plaque happens. Video by Nucleusanimation
Why and How does Cigarette Smoke Cause or Contribute to the Premature Development and the Accelerated Progression of Coronary Heart Disease ?
1- INTRODUCTION: Myths, Truths, Facts & Consequences.
3- EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON CORONARY HEART HEALTH
- SMOKING induces INFLAMMATION of the endothelium of your coronary arteries ...and contributes directly to the building up of plaque.
- SMOKING INCREASES MECHANICAL ARTERIAL STRESS DUE TO INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE and HEART RATE
- SMOKING IMPAIRS VASODILATION ...and puts your heart under chronic stress.
- SMOKING INCREASES THE RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS ...and the risk of heart attacks.
2- Cigarette Smoking and THE GENESIS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS - and / or Coronary Heart Disease
4- STATISTICAL HEALTH FACTS regarding the effects of smoking cigarettes
5- THE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUITTING SMOKING:
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
Thinking of quitting? For your cardiovascular health, this will be the best decision you have taken in your lifetime, Do not hesitate
JUST DO IT !
JUST DO IT !
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