Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases

Many people try to quit smoking using either Quit smoking pill or Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Both these methods have side effects. A smoker can quit smoking without any aids but the most important thing is that the person needs to be very determined to kick the habit. This happens only when he is aware of all the dangers of smoking. Smoking affects all parts of the body including important organs like the heart to trivial organs like the skin.

The chemicals in the cigarette like nicotine and carbon monoxide damage particularly the cardiovascular system. Nicotine causes short term and long term increase in blood pressure, heart rate, coronary blood flow and cardiac output. Hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from lungs to all parts of the body through the blood, binds with carbon monoxide easily and therefore reduces the amount of oxygen supply. Blood vessels and blood cells become sticky due to smoking leading to the deposit of cholesterol and other dangerous fatty material which is called atherosclerosis. This further leads to increased blood pressure and formation of clot.
Around 13% of cardiovascular disease deaths are caused due to smoking. These diseases include heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. There are three major reasons that cause cardiovascular diseases namely smoking, elevated blood fat levels and high blood pressure of which smoking leads to the other two factors and hence greatly increase the risk of developing CVD. Smoking also accelerates the development of atherosclerotic lesions in the arterial walls. This makes the arteries narrow, harder, less elastic and more liable to rupture. This leads to the decrease the blood flow.

The effects of cigarettes on such important organs lead to a shorter life span. It is important that one realizes the dangers and makes up one’s mind to quit cigarettes.