Smoking Affects the Heart and Blood Vessels

Smoking causes about 1 in 5 deaths in the US every year. This is the leading cause of illness and disease in the United States.

Smoking damages almost every organ in the body, including the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bone, bladder and digestive organs. This article focuses on how smoking affects the heart and blood vessels.

Other health articles, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchitis and cough, discuss how smoking affects the lungs.

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Smoking and your blood vessels and heart

Chemicals in tobacco smoke affect blood cells. They can also damage the function of the heart and the structure and function of blood vessels. This damage increases the risk of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which a substance called plaque builds up in the arteries. Over time, the plaque hardens and narrows the arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to organs and other parts of your body.

Coronary heart disease came as plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. Over time, heart disease can lead to chest pain, myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmias, or even death.

Smoking is a risk factor for heart disease. When combined with other risk factors that unhealthy blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and overweight or smoking further increases the risk of heart disease.

Smoking is a major risk factor for peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.). BUFFER. It is a condition in which plaque builds up in arteries that carry blood to the head, organs and limbs. People who P.A.D. It increases the risk of heart disease, myocardial infarction and stroke.

Smoking and atherosclerosis

Any amount of tobacco, even smoking little or occasionally tobacco damages the heart and blood vessels. For some people, such as women who use birth control pills and people who have diabetes, the image poses an even greater risk in the case of the heart and blood vessels.

Tobacco smoke can also damage the blood vessels and heart. Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from the cigarette butt, cigar or pipe. Tobacco smoke also refers to smoke inhaled by a smoker.

Tobacco smoke contains many chemicals that people inhale when they smoke. Tobacco smoke can damage the blood vessels and heart of people who do not smoke the same way that active smoking harms smokers. Secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of heart attack and death in adults.

Tobacco smoke also increases the risk for children and adolescents of future coronary heart disease because:

Reduce HDL cholesterol (sometimes called "good" cholesterol)
Increases blood pressure
Heart damage tissue
Risks of secondhand smoke are particularly high in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and children with conditions such as asthma.

Researchers know less about how cigarette smoke and tubing affect the heart and blood vessels like cigarette smoke.

However, smoking cigars and pipes contains the same chemicals as cigarette smoke. In addition, studies have shown that people who smoke cigarettes are at risk for heart disease.

Benefits of quitting and avoiding secondhand smoke

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is to avoid tobacco smoke. Never start smoking. If you already smoke, stop smoking. No matter how much or how long you have smoked, quitting smoking will benefit you.

Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke. Do not go to places where smoking is allowed. Ask your friends and family who smoke not to do it at home and the car.

Quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing and dying of heart disease. Over time, quitting will also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots.

If you smoke and have existing heart disease, stop smoking to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, a second heart attack and death from other chronic diseases.

The researchers studied communities that have banned smoking on construction sites and in public places. The number of heart attacks in those communities declined slightly. Researchers believe that these results are due to a reduction in active smoking and second-line smoke exposure.


Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke damages the heart and blood vessels in several ways. Smoking is also a major risk factor for developing heart disease or dying for it.

Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke can help heart disease and reverse blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Quitting smoking is possible, but it can be difficult. Millions of people have successfully quit smoking and non-smokers have been kept. A variety of strategies, programs and medications are available to help you quit smoking.