Hookah Smoke Can Affect Your Heart Health: Here's How

Highlights:

Hookah smoke contains very high levels of toxic chemicals – even more than that present in cigarettes
Hookah smoking affects blood pressure, heart rate and can be harmful to the heart and blood vessels
It can significantly elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease

Hookah smoking causes exposure to highly toxic chemicals that often exceed that of cigarette smoke and can damage the heart and blood vessels, as per a recent statement published by the American Heart Association (AHA) in its journal, Circulation.

A typical hookah consists of a head or bowl to hold the tobacco, a sturdy body, a base containing water, and a long pipe with a mouthpiece. Burning charcoal is placed in the bowl containing the tobacco, which has a variety of aromatic, sweet-scented flavors.

Waterpipes are known by different names in different countries. Some of these are indicated below:

Hookah (Indian subcontinent)
Narghile (Israel)
Argileh (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Kuwait)
Chillim (Uzbekistan and Afghanistan)
Shisha (Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Somalia, and countries of the Arab Peninsula)

Hookah Smoking Increases Risk of Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents
A new study has revealed that Hookah smoking may increase the risk of cigarette smoking subsequently in teens.

‘Hookah smoke contains more toxic chemicals than cigarettes, which can be harmful to the heart and blood vessels. It affects the heart rate, blood pressure and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease.’
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Hookah Smoking: Facts and Figures

Nearly 4.8 percent high school students in the US smoke hookah
Around 13.6 percent of young adults aged 18-24 years in the US smoke hookah
The age-group of 18-24 years accounts for 55 percent hookah smokers across the US
Hookah smokers are more likely to start smoking cigarettes than non-hookah smokers
Hookah smoking is spreading at an alarming rate among the youth worldwide
As per a survey of seven Middle East countries, the rate of hookah smoking ranges between 9-15 percent, which is higher than cigarette smoking in some other countries
A UK study showed that the prevalence of hookah smoking is more than double that of cigarette smoking

Smoking Hookah is More Harmful than Cigarettes report
Smoking a shisha gives off as much carbon monoxide as 15 to 52 cigarettes and as much tar as 27 to 102 cigarettes, said a French national laboratory report cited by the French anti-tobacco

Why is Hookah Smoking Dangerous?

In a typical 30-minute hookah smoking session many liters of smoke, filled with large amounts of particulate matter enters the lungs at much higher concentrations than cigarettes
In a single hookah smoking session, more carbon monoxide enters the body, compared to a cigarette
Even short-term exposure to carbon monoxide is harmful and can significantly reduce exercise capacity
Hookah smoke also contains high levels of other toxic chemicals that are harmful to the cardiovascular system and the levels of which are much higher than in cigarette smoke. Some of these toxic substances include the following:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Suspended particulate matter
Volatile organic chemicals
Nicotine
Acrolein
Arsenic
Cadmium
Lead

Hookah smoking adversely affects blood pressure and heart rate
Regular hookah smoking significantly increases the risk of heart diseases such as coronary artery disease

“Hookah smoke contains harmful substances and the American Heart Association strongly recommends avoiding the use of tobacco in any form,” says Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., Chair of the writing group for the statement and Professor of Medicine and Director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center in Kentucky, USA.

Understanding the Health Effects of Waterpipe and Hookah Smoking
Hookahs and water pipes are now gaining popularity in the United States and other countries and it may just be the the first new tobacco trend of the 21st century.

Why is Hookah Smoking Not Considered Harmful?

Hookah smoking is perceived as not harmful, possibly due to the following reasons:

In a hookah, since the smoke is filtered through water, it is not considered harmful, although no scientific evidence exists to support this claim
The wide variety of flavors and sweet aroma of the tobacco and attractive packaging tempts young people to smoke hookah
The flavors and sweetness of the tobacco masks the characteristic harsh taste of the smoke, which makes it easier for youngsters to get hooked to smoking hookahs
Promotion and advertising in social media is also a major factor for the popularity of hookah smoking
Misperceptions about the addictive potential and health hazards are other factors for the high prevalence of hookah smoking
Since hookah tobacco packages do not carry any health warnings, it is perceived as not harmful
Since many people smoke hookahs casually as a way of social interaction, recreation, and relaxation, it is perceived as less habit-forming

Water Pipe Hookah Smoking and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Whether it's a cigarette, cigar, pipe or hookah, smoking tobacco in any form is unsafe. Using a hookah even for an hour is equal to smoking 50 to 100 cigarettes.

Conclusion

A misperception about hookah smoking prevails in the society that it is not harmful. In contrast, since the harmful effects of cigarettes are well known, these are largely avoided by the youth. Therefore, there is a need for more research for developing evidence-based policies to emphasize and communicate the harmful effects of hookah smoking to the public. Furthermore, the role of doctors is vital for providing counseling to patients who are hookah smokers to help them kick the habit.

Reference:

Water Pipe (Hookah) Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association - (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000671)

Source-Medindia