Health Hazards of Smoking - Heart Disease

Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by the action on the blood vessels; by increasing the work load of the heart and by decreasing exercise tolerance.

Smoking accelerates the hardening and narrowing process in the arteries. It decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Nicotine in the cigarette causes constriction of blood vessels which increases blood pressure resulting in hypertension.

Some of the diseases caused by smoking-

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Cerebrovascular disease- Smoking causes atherosclerosis. Slowing of blood flow also occurs which in turn can lead to thrombus formation. If this affects the vessels to the brain I can lead to stroke and paralysis.
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm- Swelling or weakening of the aorta where it runs through the abdomen.
• Peripheral vascular disease- Smoking by its action on blood vessels causes vasoconstriction and is also the risk factor for the development of peripheral vascular disease and inflammation of a vein. Obstruction of the large arteries in the arms and legs can lead to a wide range of problems from pain to tissue loss or gangrene.
• Coronary heart disease- Cigarette smoking increases the duration of ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease and also the number of times a patient gets ischemic attacks.