According to the Center for Disease Control, people who smoke even fewer than 5 cigarettes per day are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers. They also have twice the risk to suffer a stroke.
Chemicals in tobacco smoke damage blood cells, heart function and the structure of blood vessels. These all lead to plaque building up in the arteries, which eventually hardens and narrows them. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, heart disease can develop and cause heart attack, heart failure or even death.
To help people quit smoking and improve their heart health, the American Heart Association recommends the following 5 steps:
- Contract – Create a contract that gives you 7 days to quit smoking.
- Choose – Pick the method that would best help you stop , such as quitting cold turkey, reducing the number of cigarettes each day, or only smoking part of each cigarette until quit day.
- Replace – Consider if a nicotine replacement therapy in the form of gum, spray, patch or inhaler will help you quit.
- Plan – Set a special reward for the day you quit.
- Stop – As soon as you quit smoking, blood circulation increases and blood pressure and heart rate improves.
Learn more about the dangers of smoking, the link between smoking and heart disease and ways to improve your heart health at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sources
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/heart_disease/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272630.php
Related Article
5 Ways to Improve Your Heart Health
Join the Discussion
0 Comments